Effects of aerobic exercise training on fitness and walking-related outcomes in ambulatory individuals with chronic incomplete XXXX .

@entity1566 @entity4464 @entity26 @entity1
STUDY DESIGN: Single group, pretest-post-test study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of a non-task-specific, voluntary, progressive aerobic exercise training (AET) intervention on fitness and walking-related outcomes in ambulatory adults with chronic motor-incomplete SCI. SETTING: Rehabilitation research center. METHODS: Ten ambulatory individuals (50% female; 57.94  9.33 years old; 11.11  9.66 years postinjury) completed voluntary, progressive moderate-to-vigorous intensity AET on a recumbent stepper 3 days per week for 6 weeks. The primary outcome measures were aerobic capacity (VO2peak (volume of @entity26 that the body can use during physical exertion)) and self-selected @entity4464 ( @entity4464 ). Secondary outcome measures included walking economy, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), daily step counts, Walking Index for @entity1566 (WISCI-II), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). RESULTS: Nine @entity1 completed all testing and training. Significant improvements in aerobic capacity (P=0.011), @entity4464 (P=0.023), the percentage of VO2peak used while walking at self-selected speed (P=0.03) and daily step counts (P=0.025) resulted following training. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that total-body, voluntary, progressive AET is safe, feasible, and effective for improving aerobic capacity, walking speed, and select walking-related outcomes in an exclusively ambulatory SCI sample. This study suggests the potential for non-task-specific aerobic exercise to improve walking following incomplete SCI and builds a foundation for further investigation aimed at the development of exercise based rehabilitation strategies to target functionally limiting impairments in ambulatory individuals with chronic SCI.
