Abstract
We thank the authors for their comments and reflections on our article. We agree that including regular physical activity into the lifestyle of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) may reverse the cardiovascular and metabolic effects of immobilization deconditioning and precipitate desirable multisystem adaptations. Strong evidence exists regarding the effects of exercise on fitness after SCI (ie, peak oxygen consumption, muscle strength), 1 Hicks A.L. Martin Ginis K.A. Pelletier C.A. Ditor D.S. Foulon B. Wolfe D.L. The effects of exercise training on physical capacity, strength, body composition and functional performance among adults with spinal cord injury: a systematic review. Spinal Cord. 2011; 49: 1103-1127 Crossref PubMed Scopus (205) Google Scholar but evidence is insufficient to determine whether exercise improves other traditional and novel cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. 1 Hicks A.L. Martin Ginis K.A. Pelletier C.A. Ditor D.S. Foulon B. Wolfe D.L. The effects of exercise training on physical capacity, strength, body composition and functional performance among adults with spinal cord injury: a systematic review. Spinal Cord. 2011; 49: 1103-1127 Crossref PubMed Scopus (205) Google Scholar , 2 Carlson K.F. Wilt T.J. Taylor B.C. et al. Effect of exercise on disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in adults with traumatic spinal cord injury: systematic review of the evidence. J Spinal Cord Med. 2009; 32: 361-378 PubMed Google Scholar , 3 Phillips A.A. Cote A.T. Warburton D.E. A systematic review of exercise as a therapeutic intervention to improve arterial function in persons living with spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2011; 49: 702-714 Crossref PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar Increasing Physical Activity in Spinal Cord Injury: Upper-Body Exercise Alone Not Enough?Archives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationVol. 97Issue 1PreviewRecently, Totosy de Zepetnek et al1 reported that 16 weeks of upper-body exercise training does not improve traditional or novel cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in those with spinal cord injury (SCI). It is well-known that most individuals with SCI suffer from metabolic and cardiovascular complications, and importantly, physical activity and exercise training can lessen CVD risk.2 This leaves the question, why does the Totosy de Zepetnek1 study conflict with previous findings? Full-Text PDF
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