Study design: Cross-sectional single-subject design.
Objectives: To determine whether leg vascular occlusion (LEVO) augment arm cycling (ACE) peak oxygen uptake in spinal cord-injured individuals.
Setting: University Hospital, Norway.
Methods: Fifteen individuals with C(4) to T(12) spinal cord injury (SCI) were recruited and divided into two groups: injury above (SCI-high, n=8) or below (SCI-low, n=7) the T(6) level. Peak oxygen uptake (VO(2peak)) was measured during (1) ACE combined with LEVO, (2) ACE alone and (3) ACE combined with functional electrical stimulation cycling (FES hybrid cycling).
Results: In the SCI-high group, VO(2peak) and peak Watt during ACE with LEVO were higher than ACE alone: 20.0 (±5.0) versus 17.6 (±5.0) ml kg(-1) min(-1) (P=0.006), and 72.5(±32) versus 80.0 (±34) Watt (P=0.016), respectively. However, FES hybrid cycling VO(2peak) was significantly higher than ACE with LEVO: 24.4 (±4.1) versus 20.0 (±5.0) ml kg(-1) min(-1) (P=0.006). In the SCI-low group, there was no difference in VO(2peak) and related parameters between the three modalities.
Conclusions: For spinal cord-injured individuals with injury level above T(6) (high) in the present study, LEVO combined with ACE augment VO(2peak). However, this acute increase in VO(2peak) was lower than when FES cycling was combined with ACE. These findings may have future implications for exercise prescription for spinal cord-injured individuals.