Hybrid Functional Electrical Stimulation Exercise for Improved Cardiorespiratory Fitness in SCI

Abstract

Aerobic exercise in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is greatly beneficial to health and improves quality of life. However, exercise must meet certain intensity and volume criteria to induce significant benefits across multiple systems. Additionally, more vigorous exercise results in greater benefits, but individuals with SCI can have difficulty achieving high exercise intensities because the paralyzed muscles cannot contribute to overall oxygen consumption. One solution is functional electrical stimulation (FES) exercise, especially hybrid FES exercise involving both innervated upper body and electrically stimulated lower body muscles. This chapter will focus on the acute and chronic responses to FES-cycling and hybrid FES exercise and summarize the advances in application of FES for exercise in SCI. It should be noted that there can be striking differences between the two forms of exercise and the majority of the data indicate if hybrid FES exercise is achievable, this form of exercise is ideal for gains in aerobic capacity in those with SCI.