Abstract
BackgroundA dynamic sub-maximum exercise with the same absolute intensity, performed with different muscle groups, may present exacerbated cardiorespiratory responses. Therefore, cardiorespiratory responses to unilateral exercise may identify bilateral differences. The purpose of this study was to verify whether the cardiorespiratory responses to lower limb exercise display counter-lateral differences, and if they could be used to assist athletes and health professionals involved in rehabilitation.MethodsNine individuals participated in this cross-sectional study. They had been treated in a private rehabilitation clinic and submitted to intra-articular reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. The cycling exercise with the same sub-maximal intensity and with one lower limb was used to gather data. Cardiorespiratory responses to exercise were compared between exercises performed with the involved and uninvolved limb after five minutes of exercise.ResultsCardiorespiratory responses to exercise performed with the involved limb presented higher values after five minutes of cycling: oxygen uptake (+7%), carbon dioxide production (+10%), minute ventilation (+20%), breathing frequency (+19%), ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (+14%), end-tidal pressure of O2 oxygen (+4%), end-tidal pressure of O2 carbon dioxide (-9%) and heart rate (+9%).ConclusionsThe exacerbated responses, including increase of the ventilatory equivalent and decrease of end-tidal pressure of carbon dioxide, indicate that this exercise protocol may be useful in the characterization of the functional deficit of the surgical limb during rehabilitation.
Highlights
A dynamic sub-maximum exercise with the same absolute intensity, performed with different muscle groups, may present exacerbated cardiorespiratory responses
After five minutes of exercise under a constant submaximal intensity, significant increases were found in V_O2 ðþ7%Þ, V_CO2ðþ10%Þ, V_Eðþ20%Þ, f (+19%), V_EO2ðþ14%Þ, End-tidal pressure of Oxygen uptake (O2) (PETO2) (+4%), End-tidal pressure of Carbon dioxide production (CO2) (PETCO2) (−9%) and heart rate (HR) (+9%) values when the exercise performed with the involved limb was compared to that performed with the non-involved limb (Table 1)
There are a lot of studies that aim to assess the ability of a patient to progress through the end stages of rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction [19,20,21,22]
Summary
A dynamic sub-maximum exercise with the same absolute intensity, performed with different muscle groups, may present exacerbated cardiorespiratory responses. Recovery of the quadriceps muscle strength, power and endurance is among the main goals of the ACL In this context, a dynamic sub-maximum exercise with the same absolute intensity, performed with different muscle groups, may present exacerbated metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses. Many authors reached that conclusion by contrasting arm cranking and cycling [12,13,14]; by comparing one to two legs cycling [15]; or when analyzing normal lower limb and lower limb with muscle atrophy [16] These studies compared very different muscle mass, and we do not yet know if these cardiopulmonary-exacerbated responses can be observed when the exercises are undertaken with similar muscle mass, for instance, in a clinical post-surgical situation
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