Treadmill exercise testing with increasing inclination as exercise protocol for wheelchair athletes

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Abstract
Study design: Treadmill testing on a progressive incline of 11 wheelchair athletes. Objective: To determine if a novel treadmill exercise protocol which uses increments in inclination, rather than the standard increments in velocity, can be used to effectively determine maximum oxygen uptake VO2max for elite wheelchair athletes. Setting: Nottwil, Switzerland. Methods: Eleven elite wheelchair basketball players (29.3±6.3 years, 72.7±16.9 kg and 177±9.6 cm) performed an exercise protocol with increasing inclination on the treadmill. Eight players had a spinal cord injury (SCI), two had no lesion of the central nervous system and one had poliomyelitis. VO2max and heart rate were measured continuously, while serum lactate was determined immediately after the exercise protocol. Results: Athletes reached a maximal heart rate of 185±11.4 bpm and maximal lactate of 10.2±2.1 mmol/l. VO2max was 35.1±4.9 ml/min/kg. The correlation between heart rate and VO2 at different inclinations was statistically significant and comparable to able-bodied subjects. Conclusions: An exercise protocol with increasing inclination is a valid alternative to an exercise protocol with increasing velocity. Spinal Cord (2001) 39, 633–636.