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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Quantifying Arms and Legs Contributions during Repetitive Electrically-Assisted Sit-To-Stand Exercise in Paraplegics: A Pilot Study

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Lower limb influence on standing arm-cranking ('grinding').

V Neville¹, N Zaher, M T G Pain

¹Loughborough University, School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Sports Technology Institute, Loughborough Park, Loughborough LE11 3TU, United Kingdom. vernon.neville@hotmail.com

International Journal of Sports Medicine

|September 19, 2009

Summary

Leg movement significantly impacts physiological strain during standing arm-cranking. Restricting leg motion increases metabolic and cardiovascular demands, highlighting the legs

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Area of Science:

Sports Science
Exercise Physiology
Biomechanics

Background:

Standing arm-cranking, a key activity in sports like America's Cup sailing, is primarily viewed as an upper-body exercise.
The specific contribution of lower-limb movement to the physiological demands of standing arm-cranking remains largely uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of normal lower-limb movement on physiological strain during standing arm-cranking.
To quantify the differences in physiological responses when leg movement is unrestricted versus restricted.

Main Methods:

Eight elite America's Cup grinders participated in a cross-over study involving two 5-minute exercise stages at lactate threshold intensity.
Trials were conducted on an adjustable standing arm-crank ergometer with either normal knee movement or a splinted knee condition.
Measurements included vertical ground reaction forces (VGRF), knee joint angle, oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), ventilation (VE), heart rate (HR), and blood lactate (BLa).

Main Results:

While work rate was consistent across conditions, normal arm-cranking allowed for greater knee range of motion and VGRF amplitude compared to the splinted condition (p<0.01).
Splinted arm-cranking resulted in significantly higher VCO2 (8%), RER (11%), VE (17%), and HR (7 bpm) compared to normal movement (p<0.001).
Blood lactate levels were also significantly higher following the splinted condition (p=0.04).

Conclusions:

The lower limbs play a crucial role in the biomechanics and physiological economy of standing arm-cranking.
Restricting lower-limb movement during this activity substantially increases cardiovascular and metabolic strain.
These findings underscore the importance of integrated upper- and lower-body movement for optimizing performance and reducing physiological load in arm-cranking activities.