OXYGEN UPTAKE KINETICS IN PERSONS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY INVOLVED
AND NOT INVOLVED IN SPORT

Pokvytyte V., Skucas K., Stasiulis A.

Lithuanian Sports University, Lithuania

Relevance of the research. Aging is a multidimensional process and alteration in the aging trajectory caused by characteristics associated with spinal cord injury. Despite initial impressions and claims to the contrary, there has been remarkably little progress in improving longevity for people with spinal cord injuries (Groah et al., 2012). Low volume, high intensity interval training improve health and functional performance in the general population and in many chronic disease states (Gibala et al., 2012). Wheelchair basketball is an effective and suitable sport to enhance physical performance and to induce positive physiological adaptations (Schmid et al., 1998). The acceleration of oxygen uptake (Vo₂) kinetics at the onset of exercise has been observed over a short term of wheelchair-training program (Fukuoka et al., 2006). Oxygen uptake kinetics in people with spinal cord injury is still unclear.

The object of the research oxygen kinetics of persons with spinal cord injury, and the aim of the study is to analyze the oxygen uptake kinetics in persons with spinal cord injury involved and not involved in sport.

Research methods and organization. We analyzed data from 11 individuals, divided in two groups: 6 wheelchair basketball players with a spinal cord injury and 5 non-athletes with a spinal cord injury. Individuals performed incremental and constant work rate exercise with the arms. Pulmonary gas exchange data collection was made and analyses of cardiorespiratory parameters kinetics. In order to estimate the kinetics of cardiorespiratory parameter (Vo₂) during and after exercise that intensity was lower than lactate threshold responses during on-transition period was analyzed by adopting mono-exponential function: y (t) = y (b) ± A(1 – e ^{– t / τ}), where y (b) is the baseline value (Vo₂) through the last 30 s of work or rest; A is the amplitude and τ is the time constant of the response. Statistical analysis was done using Mann-Whitney Test.

Results and discussion. Significant difference among groups was obtained for Vo₂ kinetics p < 0.05. Time constant (τ (tau)) was higher in non-athletic persons with spinal cord injury than in wheelchair basketball players group (29.3 ±9 sec. VS 12.3 ± 4 sec). And there were significant difference in amplitude response of Vo₂ kinetics phase II between the groups (1125.6 ± 262 ml/min in non-athletic persons and 1593.4 ± 210 ml/min in wheelchair basketball payers).

Conclusions. The longer time constants in non-athletic persons with spinal cord injury indicated a slower period of adaptation to an exercise workload. Non-athletic persons with the spinal cord injury showed lower system ability to adapt to energy demands associated with the exercise load. These findings suggested that sports activities may be appropriate target for the interventions in improving longevity for people with spinal cord injuries.