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Published on: June 16, 2016
Longitudinal changes in physical capacity over 20 years in athletes with spinal cord injury
Sumiko Shiba1, Hiroyuki Okawa, Hiroyasu Uenishi
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Wakayama City, Japan.
Objective:
To investigate the longitudinal changes in physical capacity over 20 years in athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Design:
Longitudinal study (20-y follow-up).
Setting:
Laboratory setting.
Participants:
Persons with SCI (N=7).
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Maximum oxygen consumption Vo(2)max) measured in 1986-1988 and in 2006.
Results:
Subjects with SCI maintained stable Vo(2)max in 2006. Six of the 7 continued various wheelchair sports activities, while 1 person quit sports activities 1 year after the baseline study. The latter person showed reduced Vo(2)max by 53%, while 2 persons who continued strenuous wheelchair sports activities showed increased Vo(2)max by 43% and 45% after 20 years.
Conclusion:
The results indicated that physical capacity reflected the level of sports activity in subjects with SCI who maintained sports activities.
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