Physiological responses in males with and without spinal cord injury to recumbent synchronous versus seated asynchronous arm crank stress tests

• Published in: Retos (Madrid) 2021 (39), p.565-571
• Main Authors: Ventura, Josep L, Soto Montañez, Carlos A, Medina, Josep, Javierre Garcés, Casimiro, Niño Méndez, Oscar Adolfo, Alamo, Juan, Oviedo, Guillermo, Travier, Noemie, Vidal, Joan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABSOLUTE value; AEROBIC capacity; ARM exercises; deporte; disability; discapacidad; ergometry; ergometría; EXERCISE; EXERCISE tests; handbike; handcycling; lesión medular; silla de ruedas; SPINAL cord injuries; spinal cord injury; sport; wheelchair
• ISSN: 1579-1726; 1988-2041; 1988-2041
• DOI: 10.47197/retos.v0i39.77835

Introduction: Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2) may be one of the most important variables in the study of the responses ofpeople with spinal cord injury (SCI) and without SCI to physical exercise. The results achieved during its assessment serve as adiagnostic and health indicator in clinical settings. Objective: this study aimed to investigatethe physiological responses in males withand without SCI performing a maximal incremental test on an asynchronous arm crank ergometer (ACr) and on a recumbent synchronoushandbike ergometer (HB). Methods: ten males with SCI and 11 able-bodied males (AB group) participated in this study. Two maximalgraded exercise tests were performed, starting at 10 watts and increasing the workload by 10 watts every minute until exhaustion.Results: the AB group achieved lower workloads and absolute VO2 values than the SCI group during the HB test (all p < 0.05). Thesubmaximal values of the relative VO2 peak and RER at workloads between 40-90 watts showed significant differences between SCI andAB on HB and ACr. Significant linear relationships between workload and relative VO2 peak were found during the HB test (p < 0.001).Conclusions: these findings demonstrate that there are different physiological responses between adults with and without SCI whenperforming maximal and submaximal arm-ergometry. Interestingly, higher VO2 peak and workloads were achieved by the SCI group. Inaddition, specific prediction equations derived from the current study can be used to calculate the relative VO2 peak in handbikers with Introducción: el consumo de oxígeno (VO2) es una de las variables más importantes en el estudio de la respuesta al ejercicio en personas con y sin lesión medular (SCI; AB). Objetivo: en este estudio se analizaron las respuestas fisiológicas en hombres adultos con y sin SCI al realizar pruebas de esfuerzo máximas en un ergómetro de brazos asincrónico (ACr) en sedestación y en un ergómetro de brazos sincrónico (HB) en posición supina. Métodos: diez hombres con SCI y 11 sin SCI participaron en este estudio. Dos pruebas de esfuerzo gradual fueron realizadas por cada participante, iniciando a 10 watts e incrementando la carga 10 watts cada minuto. Resultados: el grupo sin SCI alcanzó cargas y VO2 menores que los participantes con SCI durante el test en HB (p < 0.05). Los valores submáximos para el VO2 relativo y el RER a cargas de 40-90 watts fueron estadísticamente diferentes entre los grupos en ambos tests. Se observó una correlación lin