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Updated: Dec 11, 2025

Activity-based Training on a Treadmill with Spinal Cord Injured Wistar Rats
Published on: January 16, 2019
Effect of Exercise on Cardiovascular Function Following Spinal Cord Injury: A REVIEW
Shujia Liu1, Yi Wang, Josef Niebauer
1Departments of Spine and Spinal Cord Surgery (Dr Liu) and Clinical Laboratory (Dr Wang), Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China; Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China (Drs Liu and Wang); Research Institute of Molecular Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Paracelsus Medical University, and Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria (Dr Niebauer).
Abstract:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with a reduced level of physical activity, deterioration of patient body composition, metabolic profile, quality of life, and psychological functioning. As a result, risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases and CVD-related death occurs at an earlier age than in individuals without SCI. Regular participation in exercise has been shown to exert beneficial effects also in patients with SCI. In this review, we analyze and discuss the effects of regular exercise training in SCI on cardiovascular function, autonomic function of the cardiovascular system, arterial stiffness, metabolism, inflammation, and gene expression.
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