Relationship between maximal exercise capacity and walking capacity in adult hemiplegic stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between maximal exercise capacity and walking capacity in hemiplegic stroke patients.


METHODS
An uncontrolled observational study was conducted in the physical medicine and rehabilitation unit in an academic hospital. Participants were 21 hemiplegic stroke patients (18 men, 3 women; age, 18-70 yrs) whose stroke occurred >3 mos before the study and who could walk independently with or without walking aids. Main outcome measures were peak oxygen uptake, workload, walking capacity, and motor impairment.


RESULTS
There was a significant correlation between walking capacity (6-min-walk test) and both peak oxygen uptake (r=0.602, P=0.0032) and maximal power output (r=0.867, P<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Aerobic capacity and walking capacity are decreased in hemiplegic stroke patients and are correlated with each other. These results underscore the need for future studies, to confirm the role of fitness in relation to walking capacity, and to evaluate the benefit of integrating aerobic training into more traditional rehabilitation programs after stroke.
Courbon
Annabelle
A
Unité PPEH-GIP E2S EA 3062, Faculté de Médecine Jacques Lisfranc, Université Jean Monnet Service de Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation, Hôpital Bellevue CHU, Saint-Etienne, France.
Calmels
Paul
P
Roche
Frédéric
F
Ramas
Julien
J
Rimaud
Diana
D
Fayolle-Minon
Isabelle
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D016138:Walking