A Graded Exercise Test Protocol for Spinal Cord Injured Individuals

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a graded exercise protocol using a wheelchair on the treadmill for lower-limb disabled individuals. Twenty-seven subjects with lower-limb disabilities were assessed with an experimental graded exercise test protocol that stared at 2 mph and 0% grade and progressed by increasing the grade 2% every 3 minutes while keeping the treadmill speed constant. The test protocol was sensitive to varying levels of fitness, enabling all subjects to complete at least three testing stages. The protocol was able to evaluate unfit individuals, while at the same time allowing elite wheelchair athletes to attain maximum heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2) values, which they did within 24 minutes of beginning the procedure. The increase in work was gradual enough to be within a medical margin of safety for all subjects, and entailed an increase of approximately one MET per stage. Maximum VO2 and HR values demonstrated the familiar linear relationship associated with work.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: