Abstract
Study design: Determination of fat oxidation at three different intensities in trained wheelchair athletes on the treadmill.
Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the level and highest rate of fat oxidation in endurance-trained wheelchair athletes for recommendation on endurance training.
Setting: Institute of Sports Medicine, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland.
Methods: Nine (seven men and two women) endurance-trained wheelchair athletes (VO2peak 40.2±6.7 ml/kg/min) were studied over 20 min at 55, 65 and 75% VO2peak on a treadmill in their own racing wheelchairs in order to find the exercise intensity with the highest absolute fat oxidation.
Results: As presumed, total energy expenditure for wheelchair racing was highest at 75% VO2peak, while absolute fat oxidation was statistically not significantly different at the three tested intensities. Percentage of energy expenditure from fat oxidation decreased with increasing intensity from 31.4% at 55% VO2peak to 20.9% at 75% VO2peak, while percentage from carbohydrate oxidation increased from 68.6% at 55% VO2peak to 79.1% at 75% VO2peak.
Conclusion: For wheelchair athletes, we recommend training of fat metabolism for endurance exercise at an intensity of 55% VO2peak, because absolute fat metabolism is not higher at higher intensities but less carbohydrates are used at lower intensity levels. At lower intensities, exercise can be performed over a longer time before the emptied glycogen stores will limit exercise duration. This may apply especially to paraplegic subjects whose active muscle mass is limited in contrast to able-bodied athletes.
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Knechtle, B., Müller, G., Willmann, F. et al. Fat oxidation at different intensities in wheelchair racing. Spinal Cord 42, 24–28 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101548
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101548
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