Maximal Treadmill Performance of Children with Cerebral Palsy

1 August 1995

journal article
Published by Human Kinetics in Pediatric Exercise Science

Vol. 7 (3) , 305-313
https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.7.3.305

Abstract

Nine children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and 9 controls (mean age 13.5 and 14.0, respectively) completed a maximal walking test on the treadmill. Initial gradient was set at 0% with a speed increase every 2 minutes until the “fastest walking speed” was achieved in the third stage. The gradient was then increased by 2.5–5% every 2 minutes. V̇O₂max of the CP children was significantly lower (p = .001) than that of the controls (32.7 vs. 45.2 ml · kg¹ · min⁻¹). There was no significant difference in maximal heart rate between the two groups (189 vs. 197). However, the CP subjects had significantly higher (p = .007) ventilatory equivalent for O₂ compared to the controls (41.4 vs. 33.6). The lower V̇O₂max values of the CP children might reflect inefficient ventilation, compromised circulation, and local fatigue in the spastic limb muscles.

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