Comparison of blood lactate elimination in individuals with paraplegia and able-bodied individuals during active recovery from exhaustive exercise.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to compare blood lactate elimination between individuals with paraplegia (P) and able-bodied (AB) individuals after strenuous arm exercise.


METHODS
Eight P and 8 AB men (matched for age, height, and weight) participated in this study. Average weekly arm-training volume for P participants (eg, hand bike, wheelchair basketball) and AB participants (eg, swimming, rowing, cross-country skiing) was 4.1 +/- 1.6 vs 2.8 +/- 0.8 h. A maximal-arm-cranking intensity-graded exercise test to volitional exhaustion was performed by all test participants. Immediately after the exercise test, the participants performed arm cranking for another 30 minutes at a workload of one third of the maximally achieved power output. During this active recovery, mixed-capillary blood samples were taken for lactate analysis.


RESULTS
The lactate accumulation constant was significantly higher for P individuals, whereas the lactate elimination constant showed no significant difference between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with paraplegia seem to have no disadvantages in lactate elimination after exhaustive arm exercise compared with able-bodied individuals.
Institute for Clinical Research, Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland.
Christof
C
Leicht
Claudio
C
Perret
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000097:blood* / Q000534:rehabilitation*
D019344:Lactic Acid