Jan W. van der Scheer, Sonja de Groot, Marga Tepper, Willemijn Faber, ALLRISC group, DirkJan H. Veeger, Lucas H. V. van der Woude
Reade Locatie Overtoom, DNO, PO Box 58271, NL-1040 HG Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: s.d.groot@reade.nl
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2037

Objective: To investigate the effects of low-intensity wheelchair training on wheelchair-specific fitness, wheelchair skill performance and physical activity levels in inactive people with long-term spinal cord injury.
Design: Randomized controlled trial.
Participants: Inactive manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury for at least 10 years (n = 29), allocated to exercise (n = 14) or no exercise.
Methods: The 16-week training consisted of wheelchair treadmill-propulsion at 30–40% heart rate reserve or equi-valent in terms of rate of perceived exertion, twice a week, for 30 min per session. Wheelchair-specific fitness was determined as the highest 5-s power output over 15-m overground wheelchair sprinting (P5–15m), isometric push-force, submaximal fitness and peak aerobic work capacity. Skill was determined as performance time, ability and strain scores over a wheelchair circuit. Activity was determined using a questionnaire and an odometer.
Results: Significant training effects appeared only in P5–15m (exercise vs control: mean +2. 0 W vs –0. 7 W, p = 0. 017, ru=0. 65).
Conclusion: The low-intensity wheelchair training appeared insufficient for substantial effects in the sample of inactive people with long-term spinal cord injury, presumably in part owing to a too-low exercise frequency. Effective yet feasible and sustainable training, as well as other physical activity programmes remain to be developed for inactive people with long-term spinal cord injury.