Oxygen uptake and heart rate relationship in persons with spinal cord injury

• Published in: Medicine and science in sports and exercise Vol. 25; no. 10; p. 1115
• Main Authors: Hooker, S P, Greenwood, J D, Hatae, D T, Husson, R P, Matthiesen, T L, Waters, A R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-10-1993
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Arm - physiology; Case-Control Studies; Exercise Test; Exercise Therapy; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Paraplegia - etiology; Paraplegia - physiopathology; Paraplegia - rehabilitation; Physical Exertion - physiology; Respiratory Function Tests; Spinal Cord Injuries - complications; Thoracic Vertebrae
• ISSN: 0195-9131
• DOI: 10.1249/00005768-199310000-00006

The percent (%) peak oxygen uptake (VO2) and % peak heart rate (HR) relationships were determined in 13 persons with high (T1-T6) and 14 persons with low lesion (T7-T12) spinal cord injured paraplegia (SCI PARA) and 15 nonimpaired subjects during graded arm crank (AC) tests to exhaustion. Subjects were instructed to maintain a target cadence of 60 rpm on a modified electronically braked leg cycle ergometer. After 3 min of unloaded cranking, power output (PO) was increased by 8-16 W.min-1. VO2 and HR were determined via open-circuit spirometry and 12-lead ECG, respectively. Absolute HR and VO2 values for each PO were converted to % peak HR and % peak VO2 values. Linear regression slopes describing individual % peak HR and % peak VO2 relationships were calculated and compared between groups with one-way ANOVA. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were noted between the mean (+/- SD) regression slopes for persons with high lesion SCI PARA (1.48 +/- 0.21), persons with low lesion SCI PARA (1.48 +/- 0.26), and nonimpaired subjects (1.53 +/- 0.29). Regression equations derived using all data points within each group were as follows: High lesion SCI PARA: y = 1.3x-37.0, R = 0.85 Low lesion SCI PARA: y = 1.23x-30.9, R = 0.88 Nonimpaired subjects: y = 1.41x-46.2, R = 0.95 (y = % peak VO2, x = % peak HR). These equations are similar to those previously reported for nonimpaired men and women and cardiac patients during AC and leg cycle ergometry.