MAXIMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL-RESPONSES DURING ARM CRANKING AND TREADMILL WHEELCHAIR PROPULSION IN T4-T6 PARAPLEGIC MEN

The aim of the study was to compare the exercise responses during maxi mum wheelchair propulsion on a motor driven treadmill (TM) and maximum arm cranking (AC) in a homogenous group of nine paraplegic men with c linically complete spinal cord lesions between T4 and T6. The test ord er for each ergometer was random and time between the two ergometer te sts was 3-7 days. All experiments were conducted in an air conditioned environment (23 degrees C DB, 18 degrees C WB). The highest VO2 recor ded during the final minute of arm cranking (1.65 +/- 0.14 l min(-1)) and wheelchair propulsion on the treadmill (1.72 +/- 0.10 l min(-1)) w as not significantly different. There were no significant differences in heart rate during the final minute of arm cranking (177 +/- 3 b min -l), and wheelchair propulsion on a motor driven treadmill (177 +/- 4 b min(-1)), nor were there any significant differences in minute venti lation (STPD) between AC (52 +/- 6.6 l min(-1)) and TM (56.1 +/- 4.8 l min(-1)). The VCO2 l min(-1) for AC (2.00 +/- 0.20 l min(-1)) and TM (2.00 +/- 0.12 l min(-1)) was also not significantly different. The pr esent study found that, unlike previous studies, no significant differ ences in VO2 (l min(-1) ml kg(-1)min(-1)) VE (l min(-1)), VCO2 (l min( -1)) or heart rate (b min(-1)) were found between the two modes of erg ometry during the last minute of incremental exercise to exhaustion in a homogenous group of T4-T6 paraplegic men. In addition the present r esults indicate that the term VO2 max should be used to describe the m aximum rate of oxygen consumption in paraplegic subjects.