Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion
Published on: February 5, 2020
Determinants of shuttle run performance in the prediction of peak VO2 in wheelchair users
Yves Vanlandewijck1, Peter van de Vliet, Joeri Verellen
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Catholic University of Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, 3001 Heverlee, Leuven, Belgium. yves.vanlandewijck@faber.kuleuven.be
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of ergonomic and environmental variations on indoor shuttle run (SR) performance in wheelchair sportsmen.
Methods:
Eleven experienced male wheelchair sportsmen performed three 25-m SRs in random order with varying turning capacity (TC) and mechanical resistance (MR): condition NN where participants used their sports wheelchair on a tartan surface, condition RN with increased MR, and condition RD with limited TC. Metabolic data were continuously recorded using a portable K4b(2) system.
Results:
Friedman ANOVA with Wilcoxon a posteriori testing indicated similar VO(2peak) values in all three tests. SR performance, however, was significantly different across the three test conditions (NN: 536.18 +/-119.09 s; RN: 488.82+/-119.84 s; RD: 404.91+/-88.41 s). SR performance contributed for 28% of the explained variance of the measured VO(2peak). The addition of TC or MR or both increased the explained variance to 32, 38 and 41%, respectively.
Conclusions:
These findings demonstrate a significant impact of variations in floor surface and wheelchair-user interface on SR performance. The findings also suggest that strong reservations have to be made regarding the validity of a SR test, as predictor of VO(2peak) in a wheelchair user population.
