Exercise capacity of untrained spinal cord injured individuals and the relationship of peak oxygen uptake to level of injury

Twenty spinal cordd injured individuals were tested for maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2peak using a hysteresis brake wheelchair ergometer. The subjects were divided into 4 groups as follows: (a) quadriplegics (4 subjects); (b) untrained female paraplegics (5 subjects); (c) untrained male paraplegics (7 subjects); and (d) trained male paraplegics (4 subjects). The VO_2peak were analysed by a one way ANOVA and Fisher’s LSD multiple comparisons. The F-ratio (50'93) was significant (p = < 0.0001). Fisher’s LSD post hoc multiple comparisons found the following differences: (a) quadriplegics were significantly lower than the untrained paraplegic females, untrained paraplegic males and trained paraplegic males; (b) untrained females were significantly lower than the untrained male paraplegics, and trained paraplegic males; (c) untrained paraplegic males were significantly lower than the trained male paraplegics. A Spearman Rho correlation was calculated using injury level and VO_2max for all the untrained SCI individuals. The correlation was 0-68 and had a significance level of 0-0019. The present study combined with the known research literature gives strong evidence that VO_2peak in the untrained SCI is highly related to level of injury.