Article

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing event that, as a result of paralysis,
negatively influences habitual levels of physical activity and hence
cardiometabolic health. Performing regular structured exercise therefore appears
extremely important in persons with SCI. However, exercise options are mainly
limited to the upper body, which involves a smaller activated muscle mass
compared with the mainly leg-based activities commonly performed by nondisabled
individuals. Current exercise guidelines for SCI focus predominantly on relative
short durations of moderate-intensity aerobic upper-body exercise, yet
contemporary evidence suggests this is not sufficient to induce meaningful
improvements in risk factors for the prevention of cardiometabolic disease in
this population. As such, these guidelines and their physiological basis require
reappraisal. In this special communication, we propose that high-intensity
interval training (HIIT) may be a viable alternative exercise strategy to promote
vigorous-intensity exercise and prevent cardiometabolic disease in persons with
SCI. Supplementing the limited data from SCI cohorts with consistent findings
from studies in nondisabled populations, we present strong evidence to suggest
that HIIT is superior to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for improving
cardiorespiratory fitness, insulin sensitivity, and vascular function. The
potential application and safety of HIIT in this population is also discussed. We
conclude that increasing exercise intensity could offer a simple, readily
available, time-efficient solution to improve cardiometabolic health in persons
with SCI. We call for high-quality randomized controlled trials to examine the
efficacy and safety of HIIT in this population.
CI - Copyright (c) 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS