Relationship between physical characteristics and physiological responses during maximal arm cranking in paraplegics

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the main physical factor(s) affecting cardiorespiratory responses during maximal arm cranking exercise in patients with paraplegia. Peak oxygen uptake (peak VO₂), peak pulmonary ventilation (peak VE) and peak heart rate (peak HR) were measured during maximal arm cranking exercise in 28 Japanese male patients. A cluster analysis was applied to the data for peak VO₂, peak HR and peak VE, and then the subjects were classified into four groups (A, B, C and D). Group A showed high peak VE and peak HR and low peak VO₂, Group B low peak VO₂ and high values for other parameters. Group C the greatest physiological values for all measurements among the groups and, in contrast, Group D showed low peak VO₂ and the lowest peak VE and peak HR among the groups. The subjects in Group C had low level of spinal cord injury and were sports participants. On the other hand, duration since injury was not related to the cardiorespiratory responses during maximal arm cranking. These findings indicate that the effects on these responses of years since injury are subordinate to those of the level of spinal cord injury and training.