Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026
Paradigms of Lower Extremity Electrical Stimulation Training After Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: February 1, 2018
Improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity after electrical stimulation-assisted cycling in people with
J Y Jeon1, C B Weiss, R D Steadward
1The Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Design:
Longitudinal training.
Objectives:
The purpose was to determine the effect of electrical stimulation (ES)-assisted cycling (30 min/day, 3 days/week for 8 weeks) on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Setting:
The Steadward Centre, Alberta, Canada.
Methods:
Seven participants with motor complete SCI (five males and two females aged 30 to 53 years, injured 3-40 years, C5-T10) underwent 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT, n=7) and hyperglycaemic clamp tests (n=3) before and after 8 weeks of training with ES-assisted cycling.
Results:
Results indicated that subjects' glucose level were significantly lower at 2 h OGTT following 8 weeks of training (122.4+/-10 vs 139.9+/-16, P=0.014). Two-hour hyperglycaemic clamps tests showed improvement in all three people for glucose utilisation and in two of three people for insulin sensitivity.
Conclusions:
These results suggested that exercise with ES-assisted cycling is beneficial for the prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in people with SCI.
Sponsorship:
Supported by Alberta Paraplegic Foundation, Therapeutic Alliance.
