Exercise testing protocol using a roller system for manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Sports Science

Background:

• Manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury (SCI) often have impaired cardiorespiratory fitness.
• Accurate assessment of cardiorespiratory measures is crucial for monitoring health and guiding exercise interventions in this population.
• Traditional exercise testing protocols may not be suitable for MWUs, necessitating the development of specialized methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the validity and reliability of a roller-based (RS) wheelchair system for evaluating cardiorespiratory measures in MWUs with SCI.
• To compare the RS protocol with a standard arm ergometer (ACE) protocol for assessing cardiorespiratory responses.

Main Methods:

• A repeated measures within-subject design was employed in a community-based research laboratory.
• Ten adults with SCI using manual wheelchairs underwent three maximal exercise tests.
• Cardiorespiratory measures, including peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), pulmonary ventilation (VE), energy expenditure (EE), heart rate (HR), accumulated kilocalories (AcKcal), and perceived exertion (RPE), were recorded using both an RS and an ACE.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in cardiorespiratory variables at maximal exertion between the RS and ACE trials.
• Moderate-to-strong correlations (r = 0.79-0.90) were found for VO2, HR, RPE, AcKcal, and rate of EE between the RS and ACE protocols.
• High correlations (r = 0.77-0.97) were also observed between repeated RS trials for VO2, AcKcal, rate of EE, and peak power output.

Conclusions:

• The RS protocol demonstrated high reliability and validity for assessing cardiorespiratory measures in MWUs with SCI, as evidenced by strong correlations with the ACE protocol and within RS trials.
• The RS system may offer advantages over traditional methods, showing potential benefits in perceived exertion and efficiency at submaximal workloads and maximal pulmonary ventilation at peak workloads.