The effect of arm-crank exercise training on power output, spirometry and cardiac function and level of autonomy in persons with tetraplegia
- Autores: Sandra Sinz
- Directores de la Tesis: Gabriel Alberto Brizuela Costa (dir. tes.)
- Lectura: En la Universitat de València ( España ) en 2022
- Idioma: inglés
- Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Javier Pérez Tejero (presid.), Inmaculada Aparicio Aparicio (secret.), Florentino Huertas Olmedo (voc.)
- Programa de doctorado: Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Educación
- Calificación: Sobresaliente
- Materias:
- Enlaces
- Tesis en acceso abierto en: RODERIC
- Resumen
Introduction: Disability continues to be a barrier to the social, personal and educational development of people who have it. Several studies have shown that physical activity provides multiple benefits persons with spinal cord injury (SCI): improving exercise tolerance, muscular endurance, peak power output and oxygen consumption, but without the concurrence of central cardiovascular adaptations. There are few studies investigating the effects of cardiovascular exercise on heart rate variability (HRV) in persons with tetraplegia.
Objective: To study the effect of arm-crank exercise on the physiological response of persons with tetraplegia.
Method: This is a prospective, quasi-experimental study with an A-B applicability design, divided into two phases (pre and post-intervention), in which 11 persons with tetraplegia of traumatic origin participated. The experiment consisted of arm-crank exercise program (ACE), with a duration of 8 weeks and a frequency of twice a week. It was measured variables related with power output, spirometric and cardiac function, and level of autonomy.
Results: All functional and pulmonary variables showed significant differences in relation to the level of injury, with higher values for participants with a lower level of cervical SCI (p <0.05). None of the VRC variables showed differences between high or low level of injury, neither in the “Pre” or in the “Post” time. Both the level of autonomy and the maximum power output were significantly correlated before (p <0.0001) and after (p <0.0001) of the training period.
Conclusion: A short-term training program with arm-crank exercise is sufficient to significantly improve pedaling power, lung function and heart rate variability in persons with cervical spinal cord injury, contributing to the improvement of their muscle, pulmonary and cardiovascular functions.
Article key words: Disability, spinal cord injury, physical activity, pedaling, anaerobic performance, lung function, heart rate variability.
