The effect of previous weight training and concurrent weight training on endurance for functional electrical stimulation cycle ergometry

Abstract

Forty-five paraplegic subjects participated in three series of experiments to examine the interrelationships between previous weight training, concurrent weight training and muscle strength and endurance during cycle ergometry elicited by functional electrical stimulation (FES). When subjects only underwent isokinetic weight training (series 1) three times per week on the quadriceps, hamstring and gluteus maximus groups for 12 weeks, strength increased linearly with time for all three muscle groups from an initial average of 17 N to 269 N at the end of training, a 15-fold increase. In the second series of experiments, different groups of subjects either underwent no strength training prior to cycle ergometry or underwent strength training of these same three muscle groups for 2 weeks, four weeks, or 6 weeks prior to cycle ergometry. Any strength training was effective in increasing endurance for cycle ergometry. However, the rate of increase in endurance during cycle ergometry with no prior strength training was only 5 min per week, whereas the rate of increase in cycle endurance during ergometry was 14.6, 25.0, and 33.3 min per week increase in endurance after strength training for 2.4 and 6 weeks, respectively. When weight training was accomplished during FES cycle ergometry (concurrently) in a third series of experiments, there was an additional increase in endurance during cycling if strength training was concurrently accomplished. With no weight training, endurance increased 23 min per week, whereas with concurrent weight training at three times per week, endurance increased during cycling by 41.6 min per week. The results of these experiments seem to show a clear advantage of weight training concurrently and before FES cycle ergometry. Results are given as mean (SD).

Alternating stimulation of synergistic muscles during functional electrical stimulation cycling improves endurance in persons with spinal cord injury

“…The effective use of functional electrical stimulation (FES) to produce stationary pedaling as an exercise modality and during rehabilitation programs for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) is severely limited by high rates of muscular fatigue (Petrofsky and Laymon, 2004). Sustained or repeated electrical stimulation of paralyzed muscle typically does not produce the muscular force necessary for rehabilitation or exercise (Petrofsky and Stacy, 1992).…”

Strength and endurance adaptations to functional electrical stimulation leg cycle ergometry in spinal cord injury

“…Typically, the process of reconditioning paralytic/paralyzed muscles is very slow and requires frequent, intensive bouts of FES for several weeks before significant changes in strength or endurance can be observed (Devillard et al, 2007;Petrofsky & Laymon, 2004;Petrofsky et al, 2000). The results of this study show that regular FES-LCE can improve muscular strength and endurance, and increase exercise performance.…”

“…This often discourages people from pursuing long-term exercise with the technology. Some approaches to FES-LCE involve a muscle conditioning program before cycling is attempted (Petrofsky & Laymon, 2004). Other approaches start FES-LCE without any previous FES exercise, and the exercise, although brief at first, results in slow adaptations in muscle strength and endurance (Berry et al, 2008).…”

A re-evaluation of modelling of the current flow between electrodes: consideration of blood flow and wounds

“…While electrical stimulation has been used for a variety of modalities including strengthening muscle [1,3], pain management [24,25] and wound healing [6,11], there has always been some controversy as to the effectiveness of electrical stimulation. For wound healing, for example, some authors report substantial effects while others find little or none [10].…”