Key Points
Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/14/2010 - 12:02
- There is growing evidence that BWSTT can improve indicators of cardiovascular health in individuals with complete and incomplete tetraplegia and paraplegia.
- Tetraplegics and paraplegics can improve their cardiovascular fitness and physical work capacity through aerobic arm cycling exercise training which are of moderate intensity, performed 20-60 min day, at least three times per week for a minimum of six to eight weeks. Resistance training at a moderate intensity at least two days per week also appears to be appropriate for the rehabilitation of persons with SCI. It remains to be determined the optimal exercise intervention for improving cardiovascular fitness.
- Interventions that involve FES training a minimum of 3 days per week for 2 months may improve muscular endurance, oxidative metabolism, exercise tolerance, and cardiovascular fitness.
- Aerobic and FES exercise training may lead to clinically significant improvements in glucose homeostasis in persons with SCI. Preliminary evidence indicates that a minimum of 30 min of moderate intensity training on 3 days per week is required to achieve and/or maintain the benefits from exercise training.
- Aerobic and FES exercise training may lead to improvements in lipid lipoprotein profile that are clinically relevant for the at risk SCI population. The optimal training program for changes in lipid lipoprotein profile remains to be determined. However, a minimal aerobic exercise intensity of 70% of heart rate reserve on most days of the week appears to be a good general recommendation for improving lipid lipoprotein profile in persons with SCI.
