Practical approaches of PULSE Racing in training their athlete for the Cybathlon Global Edition Functional Electrical Stimulation bike race: a case report

Abstract

During the Cybathlon Global Edition 2020, athletes compete in a Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) bike race. In this event, athletes with a spinal cord injury cover a distance of 1200 m on an adapted bike by using electrostimulation to activate their leg muscles in order to evoke a pedalling movement. This report reviews the training regimen, as designed by the PULSE Racing team, and the experience of one athlete in preparation for the Cybathlon Global Edition 2020. The training plan was designed to vary exercise modes in order to optimize physiological adaptations and minimize monotony for the athlete. Additional constraints due to coronavirus pandemic, e.g., postponement of the Cybathon Global Edition and modification from a live cycling track to a virtual stationary race, along with the health concerns of the athlete, e.g. unwanted effects from the FES and bladder infection, required creativity to ensure an effective and safe training protocol. The individual needs of the athlete and task requirements for the FES bike race made the design of a suitable training programme challenging, emphasizing the importance of monitoring. Several objective and subjective measures to assess the athlete’s health and progress are presented, all with their own advantages and disadvantages. Despite these limitations, the athlete achieved a gold medal in the FES bike race Cybathlon Global Edition 2020 through discipline, team collaboration and the athlete’s own motivation.