title: Body composition modifications in people with chronic spinal cord injury after supervised physical activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quantification of body composition variables is important for planning of better activities in relation to individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  (1) To evaluate changes in body composition in patients with SCI after a supervised  physical activity process; (2) To correlate total body fat with time since injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-post intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sarah Rehabilitation Hospital Network, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three men with SCI aged 18-52 years  with duration of injury >3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were divided into three groups: tetraplegia (TT) (C5-C8), high paraplegia (HP) (T1-T6), and low paraplegia (LP) (T7-L2). Body composition was estimated in the first and last weeks of hospitalization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body weight (kg), skinfolds sum (mm), absolute (kg), and relative (%) fat and lean body mass.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body weight increased in TT and decreased in HP (0.8 kg, 95%CI 0.1-1.5; and -1.0 kg, 95%CI -2.0 to 0.0, respectively;  P < 0.05). Skinfolds sum decreased only in HP (-13.1 mm, 95%CI -20.7 to -5.5; P < 0.05). Absolute and relative body fat decreased significantly in the paraplegia groups. Lean body mass (LBM) percentage increased significantly in  the paraplegia groups. Absolute LBM increased in TT and LP (0.8 kg, 95%CI 0.3-1.3; and 1.3 kg, 95%CI 0.8 to 1.8, respectively; P < 0.05). There was no correlation between time since injury and skinfolds sum for the three groups (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TT, HP, and LP demonstrated favorable changes in body composition after 29 days of supervised physical activity. However, these changes were different in direction and magnitude.
authors.affiliation: Sarah Network of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Brasilia, DF, Brazil. fredribeironeto@gmail.com
authors.forename: Frederico Ribeiro
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Guilherme Henrique
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001938:Brazil; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult