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Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Paradigms of Lower Extremity Electrical Stimulation Training After Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: February 1, 2018
Cardiometabolic Effects of High-Intensity Hybrid Functional Electrical Stimulation Exercise after Spinal Cord Injury
Ryan Solinsky1,2,3, Hannah Mercier1,2, Glen Picard1
1Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA.
Introduction:
The prevalence of cardiometabolic disease following spinal cord injury is known to be high. However, it is unknown whether engaging in high-intensity exercise, which is advocated by recent guidelines, is beneficial or feasible for these individuals.
Objective:
To assess the effects of high-intensity, whole-body exercise on the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease in individuals with spinal cord injury.
Design:
Combination of a randomized controlled trial and an open label intervention study of functional electrical stimulation legs plus arms rowing.
Setting:
Outpatient academic rehabilitation hospital.
Participants:
Forty individuals with spinal cord injury, with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairments scales A-D and neurological levels of injury C1-T12.
Intervention:
Six months of high-intensity, hybrid-functional electrical stimulation rowing.
Main Outcome Measures:
Change in VO2max , serum lipids, and insulin resistance, prevalence of cardiometabolic disease.
Results:
Individuals averaged 42.1 ± 22.0 minutes of hybrid-functional electrical stimulation rowing a week over an average of 1.69 sessions per week over the 6 months of intervention. This amounted to an average of 170.9 ± 100 km rowed, at a mean heart rate of 82.7% of individualized maximum. Only one of 40 individuals met current exercise guidelines for the full 6 months. VO2max increased significantly (P < .001), yet prevalence of cardiometabolic disease did not change significantly (decrease from 22.5% to 20%, P = .70). Hemoglobin A1c did decrease significantly over this time (P = .01), although serum lipids and fasting glucose/insulin levels were unchanged. In exploratory subanalyses assessing individuals injured ≤12 months, those with more chronic injuries decreased their triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (P = .04), a marker of cardiac mortality. Stratifying by neurological level of injury, individuals with paraplegia had worsened low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level (P = .02) and total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio (P = .04) over the 6-month intervention.
Conclusions:
Sustained high-intensity exercise with hybrid functional electrical stimulation rowing does not decrease the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease after spinal cord injury.
