Handbiking – Um Meio de Locomoção de Baixo Custo Metabólico para Pessoas com Lesões da Medula Espinal

Handbiking - A Low Metabolic Cost of Locomotion for Spinal Cord Injured People
Afiliação/Affiliation:

[1] School of Exercise and Sport Science, Department of Neurological, Biomedical and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy;
[2] Post-Graduate Program in Pulmonology Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil;
[3] School of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil;
[4] Member of Brazilian Paralympic Academy

Artigo Completo

Resumo

O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar as velocidades de progressão submáximas, as respostas cardiorrespiratórias e o custo metabólico entre indivíduos treinados com tetraplegia e paraplegia pedalando handbikes modernas em condições ecológicas. Quinze handbikers treinados, com histórico de tetraplegia (n=4) e paraplegia (n=11) pedalaram suas handbikes na pista de atletismo em velocidades submáximas sob o registro de variáveis metabólicas (K4b2). O teste t para amostras independentes apontou diferenças significativas entre as velocidades (tetraplégicos 4.70±0.72 ms-1 versus paraplégicos 6.41±1.07 ms-1; p=0.012) e entre as respostas cardiorrespiratórias (tetraplégicos 15.9±3.6 mLkg-1min-1 versus paraplégicos 23.4±3.5 mLkg-1min-1; p=0.003). As velocidades submáximas e as respostas cardiorrespiratórias foram menores nos tetraplégicos. Contudo, um baixo e similar custo metabólico (em torno de 1 Jkg-1m-1) foi observado em ambos tetraplégicos e paraplégicos pedalando handbikes modernas.

Palavras-Chave: Handbike, economica de locomoção, pessoas com deficiência.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare aerobic speeds of progression, cardiorespiratory responses and metabolic cost between trained individuals with tetraplegia and paraplegia riding modern handbikes in ecological conditions. Fifteen trained-handbikers, with history of traumatic tetraplegia (n=4) and paraplegia (n=11) rode their handbikes on an athletics track at sub- maximal aerobic speeds under metabolic measurements (K4b2). Independent-sample t test showed significant differences between speeds (tetraplegics 4.70±0.72 ms-1 versus paraplegics 6.41±1.07 ms-1; p=0.012) and cardiorespiratory responses (tetraplegics 15.9±3.6 mLkg– 1min-1 versus paraplegics 23.4±3.5 mLkg-1min-1; p=0.003). Submaximal aerobic speeds and cardiorespiratory responses were lower in tetraplegics. However, a low and similar metabolic cost (around 1 Jkg-1m-1) was observed in both tetraplegic and paraplegic riding modern handbikes.

Keywords: Handbike, locomotion economy, disabled persons

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