Relation between muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness in people with thoracic-level paraplegia. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • OBJECTIVES: To determine the relation between muscular strength, aerobic power (V O2 peak), submaximal blood lactate accumulation, and endurance performance in people with thoracic-level paraplegia. DESIGN: Participants performed tests of isokinetic strength, a graded exercise test, and 2 endurance performance tests. A Latin square counterbalanced design was used to determine the order of testing. SETTING: Research laboratory in a university setting. PARTICIPANTS: Ten adult male volunteers with thoracic-level paraplegia. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The relations between strength, V O2 peak, submaximal blood lactate accumulation, and endurance were determined by correlation analysis. RESULTS: Shoulder flexion strength correlated with V O2 peak and power output at V O2 peak. Shoulder strength accounted for 68.4% of the variation in performance time. Greater isokinetic elbow flexion and extension strength was associated with higher V O2 and power output at a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol/L (flexion) and with a greater power output at V O2 peak (extension). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that in this population, greater muscular strength is associated with greater aerobic power and endurance. Greater muscular strength could exert a positive influence on exercise performance by enabling higher levels of cardiorespiratory stress as the result of reduced or delayed local muscle fatigue.

published proceedings

  • Arch Phys Med Rehabil

author list (cited authors)

  • Zoeller, R. F., Riechman, S. E., Dabayebeh, I. M., Goss, F. L., Robertson, R. J., & Jacobs, P. L.

citation count

  • 32

complete list of authors

  • Zoeller, Robert F||Riechman, Steven E||Dabayebeh, Ibrahim M||Goss, Fredric L||Robertson, Robert J||Jacobs, Patrick L

publication date

  • July 2005