title: Increased aerobic fitness after neuromuscular electrical stimulation training in adults with spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of a novel neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) system for improving aerobic fitness in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). It was hypothesized that training with this NMES system would increase peak oxygen consumption (Vo(2)peak) and peak heart rate (HRpeak) in a sedentary adult SCI population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All testing took place at a university human performance laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteer participants with SCI (N=16; T4-11 American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades A and B) were recruited from the national SCI outpatient and outreach service databases. All completed the training program, but results from 2 participants were excluded because posttraining tests were invalid. Therefore, 14 participants (11 men, 3 women) completed the program and testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four electrodes (175cm(2)) were placed bilaterally on the quadriceps and hamstrings muscle groups, and subtetanic contractions were elicited using an NMES device. Training was undertaken unsupervised at home for 1 hour, 5d/wk for 8 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  An incremental treadmill wheelchair propulsion exercise test with simultaneous cardiopulmonary gas exchange analysis was used to determine Vo(2)peak and HRpeak.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant increase in Vo(2)peak (P=.001) and HRpeak (P=.032) between baseline and follow-up was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel form of NMES is an effective method of improving aerobic fitness in an SCI population. Results are comparable to those with current functional electrical stimulation exercise systems.
authors.affiliation: Stim XDP Group, Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland. amandacarty2@gmail.com
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carty
authors.forename: Kirsti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Garrett F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Coughlan
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Caulfield
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013848:Thigh