title: Low-intensity wheelchair training in inactive people with long-term spinal cord injury: A randomized controlled trial on fitness, wheelchair skill performance and physical activity levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of low-intensity wheelchair training on wheelchair-specific fitness, wheelchair skill performance and physical activity levels in inactive people with long-term spinal cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inactive manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury for at least 10 years (n = 29), allocated to exercise (n = 14) or no exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 16-week training consisted of wheelchair treadmill-propulsion at 30-40% heart rate reserve or equi-valent in terms of rate of perceived exertion, twice a week, for 30 min per session. Wheelchair-specific fitness was determined as the highest 5-s power output over 15-m overground wheelchair sprinting (P5-15m), isometric push-force, submaximal fitness and peak aerobic work capacity. Skill was determined as performance time, ability and strain scores over a wheelchair circuit. Activity was determined using a questionnaire and an odometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant training effects appeared only in P5-15m (exercise vs control: mean +2.0 W vs -0.7 W, p = 0.017, ru=0.65).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low-intensity wheelchair training appeared insufficient for substantial effects in the sample of inactive people with long-term spinal cord injury, presumably in part owing to a too-low exercise frequency. Effective yet feasible and sustainable training, as well as other physical activity programmes remain to be developed for inactive people with long-term spinal cord injury.
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, NL-9700 AD, Groningen, The Netherlands. jvdscheer@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: van der Scheer
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: Marga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tepper
authors.forename: Willemijn
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: DirkJan H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Veeger
authors.forename: Lucas H V
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: van der Woude
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010809:Physical Fitness; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014910:Wheelchairs