PHYSICAL CAPACITY AND PHYSICAL STRAIN IN PERSONS WITH TETRAPLEGIA - THE ROLE OF SPORT ACTIVITY

To determine the relationship between sport activity and physical capa city (PC) and physical strain (PS) during standardized activities of d aily living (ADL), 25 subjects with tetraplegia were studied. To quant ify PC, maximal power output, peak oxygen uptake and maximal isometric force were determined on a stationary wheelchair ergometer. PS was de scribed as the highest heart rate (expressed as a percentage of the he art rate reserve), observed during standardized ADL tasks. Multiple re gression analyses showed that sport activity, lesion level and complet eness of the lesion were the most important determinants of PC. An inv erse relationship was found between PS during the ADL tasks and parame ters of PC. Parameters of PC and sport activity were significant deter minants of PS. It is concluded that a higher PC is associated with a l ower PS in daily life, and that sport activity is an important determi nant of PC. Although no causal relationships could be established, due to the cross-sectional character of this study, the results support t he assumption that being physically active is highly important for ind ividuals with tetraplegia.