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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion
Published on: February 5, 2020
Ventilation efficiency and pulmonary function after a wheelchair interval-training program in subjects with recent
Déborah Le Foll-de Moro1, Nicolas Tordi, Evelyne Lonsdorfer
1Service de Physiologie Clinique et des Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France. deborah.demoro@wanadoo.fr
Objective:
To study the effect of a wheelchair interval-training program on the ventilatory function of subjects with recent spinal cord injury (SCI).
Design:
Evaluation trial before and after a training program.
Setting:
Center of reeducation and university hospital.
Participants:
Six subjects (5 men, 1 woman) hospitalized after a recent SCI.
Intervention:
On a wheelchair ergometer, subjects with SCI performed 30 minutes of interval training 3 times a week for 6 weeks. The training program was part of their reeducation program.
Main Outcome Measures:
Spirometric values at rest and dynamic ventilatory responses were studied before and after this training program with a spirometric test, a maximal exercise test that increased by 5W every 2 minutes, and a submaximal test.
Results:
Spirometric values at rest did not change after training. At maximal exercise, peak ventilation (Vepeak, 7.5%), peak breathing frequency (f peak) (-13.4%), peak tidal volume (Vtpeak +28.9%), and the ventilatory reserve (12.9%) improved after training. The oxygen cost of Ve decreased significantly (-20%) after training. We observed for the wheelchair tests that, at the same workload after training, Ve and f decreased and Vt increased.
Conclusions:
After 6 weeks of our interval-training program in subjects with recent SCI, the increase of Vt and the decrease of oxygen cost of Ve indicated better ventilatory efficiency.
