Abstract
Study designSecondary analysis of a clinical trial.ObjectivesTo investigate changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and activity level in ambulatory persons with SCI during the first year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.SettingSunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway.MethodsThirty persons with incomplete SCI, all community walkers (25 males and 5 females, 18–69 years old) were recruited to a clinical trial of a 12 weeks home-based aerobic exercise program of either high or moderate intensity. During the last week of inpatient rehabilitation (baseline), participants performed a maximal exercise test on a treadmill (peak oxygen uptake; peak VO2) and a 6-min walking test (6MWT). Also, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and daily amount of steps were measured continuously during 7 days in the participants’ homes. All tests were repeated after 3 and 12 months (post tests).ResultsTwenty of the 30 clinical trial participants performed baseline and both posttests and are included in this secondary analysis. We found no statistically significant between-group differences in the time course over the first year of either peak VO2, 6MWT, or physical activity outcomes. Therefore, data from both exercise groups and the control group were merged for secondary analyses, revealing statistically significant increase over time in peak VO2, 6MWT, and TDEE. The increase over time in the average daily steps did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionsAmbulatory persons with SCI were able to increase their CRF levels over the first year after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, despite a minimal increase in activity levels.
Highlights
Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) often have low levels of daily physical activity [1, 2] and reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) [3,4,5]
[15], we reported that 30 ambulant persons with SCI increased their CRF, but not their physical activity levels during the first 3 months after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation
None of the participants in this study reported that they had used a wheelchair during the first year after discharge
Summary
Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) often have low levels of daily physical activity [1, 2] and reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) [3,4,5]. Physical activity can be defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure [6].
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