Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 27, 2026
Activity-based Training on a Treadmill with Spinal Cord Injured Wistar Rats
Published on: January 16, 2019
Training response to high-intensity interval training in a 42-year-old man with chronic spinal cord injury
Christopher R Harnish1, Jonathan A Daniels2, Deborah Caruso3
1a Department of Health and Human Performance , Ferrum College , Ferrum , VA , USA.
Objective:
To review the outcome of 12 weeks of periodized, high-intensity interval training (HIT) in a man with chronic traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
Methods:
A 42-year-old man (180 cm tall, 68.4 kg and 32.0% Fat) with a C8/T1 motor complete SCI took part in 12 weeks of 3 days per week arm crank ergometry (ACE) interval training. Training consisted of a combination of HIT that included three times 5 min at ∼70% Peak Power (WPeak) and 5 min recovery (HIT5); four times 2.5 min at ∼85% WPeak and 5 min recovery (HIT2.5); ten times 1 min at ∼110% WPeak and 2 min recovery (HIT1). Heart rate (HR) zones were set as <75% HRPeak (Z1), 75-89% (Z2), and 90+% (Z3) and used to monitor overall training efficacy.
Results:
Thirty-six sessions that included 8 HIT5, 10 HIT2.5, and 5 HIT1 sessions were completed. WPeak and VO2 Peak improved about 45% and 52%, respectively, by week 6, without further improvement at week 12, HR TRIMP scores and power in training sessions trended upward over the 12-week program.
Conclusions:
Twelve weeks of HIT resulted in a large increase in peak aerobic power, as well as submaximal endurance performance in our participant. The early plateau in maximal testing supports the use of submaximal training assessment important in the long-term training monitoring for SCI.
