Optimising Wheelchair Sprint Power Output Through Standardised and Individualised Force-Velocity Profiling

This study aimed to develop a standardised individualised wheelchair sprinting protocol with increasing resistances to generate linear force-velocity and parabolic power-velocity profiles, applicable across wheelchair sports with various classification levels. Twenty-seven wheelchair athletes (16 wheelchair rugby [WR] and 11 wheelchair basketball [WB]) completed six 10 s sprints on a wheelchair ergometer with 2 min rest in between. Sprint 1 was completed at the same resistance coefficient for all athletes (μ = 0.012, court resistance). For the remaining five sprints, resistances were individually increased based on predicted peak power output values. Linear regression equations were determined between forces and velocities per push for both peak and mean values. Linear relationships were more stable using the mean values compared to peak values per push (R²: 0.78 for mean power output and R²: 0.72 for peak power output). Across the six sprints, forces increased (WR: +59%, and WB: +53%), whereas velocities decreased (WR: -40% and WB: -33%). The highest mean power output per push were achieved in sprint 3 for WR and sprint 4 for WB. On average, the peak of the power parabola occurred at a mean velocity of 2.85 ms^-1 and mean power output of 414 W. This wheelchair sprint protocol with individualised increases in resistance provides an applicable force-velocity relationship across sports with various classification levels when modelled using the mean force and velocity per push. Together with the subsequent power-velocity relationship, this protocol can be used to optimise power production relative to individual baselines and help work towards the most optimal force-velocity profile.