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Graziella FB Cipriano,1,2 Gerson Cipriano Jr,1,2 Francisco V Santos,1,3 Adriana M Güntzel Chiappa,4 Luigi Pires,5 Lawrence Patrick Cahalin,2 Gaspar R Chiappa5,61Physical Therapy Department, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil; 2Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School Of Medicine, Coral Gables, FL, USA; 3Department of Education and Training in Oncology, Cancer Institute of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 4Intensive Care Unit, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; 5Centro Universitário do Planalto Central Professor Apparecido dos Santos, Brasilia, Brazil; 6University Center, UniEvangelica, Anapolis, Goias, BrazilBackground: Cardiorespiratory limitation is a common hallmark of cardiovascular disease which is a key component of pharmacological and exercise treatments. More recently, inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is becoming an effective complementary treatment with positive effects on muscle strength and exercise capacity. We assessed the effectiveness of IMT on the cardiovascular system through autonomic function modulation via heart rate variability and arterial blood pressure.Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified from searches of The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE to November 2018. Citations, conference proceedings and previous reviews were included without population restriction, comparing IMT intervention to no treatment, placebo or active control.Results: We identified 10 RCTs involving 267 subjects (mean age range 51–71 years). IMT programs targeted maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and cardiovascular outcomes, using low (n=6) and moderate to high intensity (n=4) protocols, but the protocols varied considerably (duration: 1–12 weeks, frequency: 3–14 times/week, time: 10–30 mins). An overall increase of the MIP (cmH2O) was observed (−27.57 95% CI −18.48, −37.45, I2=64%), according to weighted mean difference (95%CI), and was accompanied by a reduction of the low to high frequency ratio (−0.72 95% CI−1.40, −0.05, I2=50%). In a subgroup analysis, low- and moderate-intensity IMT treatment was associated with a reduction of the heart rate (HR) (−7.59 95% CI −13.96, −1.22 bpm, I2=0%) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (−8.29 [−11.64, −4.94 mmHg], I2=0%), respectively.Conclusion: IMT is an effective treatment for inspiratory muscle weakness in several populations and could be considered as a complementary treatment to improve the cardiovascular system, mainly HR and DBP. Further research is required to better understand the above findings.Keywords: breathing exercises, respiratory muscle training, cardiovascular system

Background: Heart failure (HF) imposes limitations due to severe dyspnea and fatigue, which are often linked to diminished exercise tolerance, potentially influenced by compromised microvascular density, blood flow, and muscle strength. Myofascial release techniques (MRT) have demonstrated the capacity to enhance blood flow by reducing fascial tension., Purpose: To assess the impact of incorporating MRT into Circuit Resistance Training (CRT) in comparison to an unsupervised home-based rehabilitation (RUHB) program on exercise tolerance (ET), muscle strength (MS), quality of life (QoL), and depression in patients with HF., Methods: A randomized clinical trial involved HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF, ejection fraction <50%) and NYHA classes II-IV. Participants were randomly assigned to either CRT (performing 2 circuits of 8 exercises thrice a week for three months) or CRT+MRT (receiving a combination of CRT and 6 MRT interventions once a week). Assessments included cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) to measure ET, MS evaluated through One Repetition Maximum (1RM), QoL using the Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire (MLwHFQ), and Depression through the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) conducted before and after the interventions., Results: Thirty-eight patients (14 in CRT, 14 in CRT+MRT, and 10 in RUHB), with a mean age of 55 years and 50% male, completed the study. After 12 weeks, only the CRT group displayed a significant effect in certain ET variables VO2 peak [baseline 12 (9-15) vs post 16 (11-19) ml/kg/min, p<0.05], VO2peak (ml/min) [baseline 848 (640-1056) vs post 1103 (852-1355) p<0.05], VE/VCO2 slope [baseline 34 (27-41) vs post 31 (27-36) p<0.05] and VO2/HRpeak [baseline 7 (5-9) vs post 11 (8-14) p<0.05]. There were significant decreases in the ΔMLwHFQ in the CRT group vs. RUHB (p<0.001) and CRT+MRT group vs. RUHB (p<0.001), demonstrating improved quality of life after 12 weeks in CRT and CRT+MRT groups., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that CRT alone is sufficient to enhance cardiorespiratory function and muscle capacity, improve the quality of life, and alleviate depression in individuals with HF., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests., (Copyright: © 2024 Thomaz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Aims: To develop and validate equations predicting heart rate (HR) at the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VTs) and an optimized range-adjusted prescription for patients with cardiometabolic disease (CMD). To compare their performance against guideline-based exercise intensity domains., Methods and Results: Cross-sectional study involving 2868 CMD patients from nine countries. HR predictive equations for first and second VTs (VT1, VT2) were developed using multivariate linear regression with 975 cycle-ergometer cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET). 'Adjusted' percentages of peak HR (%HRpeak) and HR reserve (%HRR) were derived from this group. External validation with 1893 CPET (cycle-ergometer or treadmill) assessed accuracy, agreement, and reliability against guideline-based %HRpeak and %HRR prescriptions using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), Bland-Altman analyses, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). HR predictive equations (R²: 0.77 VT1, 0.88 VT2) and adjusted %HRR (VT1: 42%, VT2: 77%) were developed. External validation demonstrated superiority over widely used guideline-directed intensity domains for %HRpeak and %HRR. The new methods showed consistent performance across both VTs with lower MAPE (VT1: 7.1%, VT2: 5.0%), 'good' ICC for VT1 (0.81, 0.82) and 'excellent' for VT2 (0.93). Guideline-based exercise intensity domains had higher MAPE (VT1: 6.8-21.3%, VT2: 5.1-16.7%), 'poor' to 'good' ICC for VT1, and 'poor' to 'excellent' for VT2, indicating inconsistencies related to specific VTs across guidelines., Conclusion: Developed and validated HR predictive equations and the optimized %HRR for CMD patients for determining VT1 and VT2 outperformed the guideline-based exercise intensity domains and showed ergometer interchangeability. They offer a superior alternative for prescribing moderate intensity exercise when CPET is unavailable., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: No potential conflict of interest is reported by the authors., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: This study aims to provide model-based cost-utility estimates for the addition of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in COVID-19 pulmonary rehabilitation (PR)., Methods: A cohort model comparing IMT with PR (intervention group) to IMT with only PR (control group) was used. The payer perspective from the Unified Health System in Brazil was adopted. Effectiveness parameters: Effectiveness was measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed using 1000 Monte Carlo simulations. A beta probability distribution was assumed for utilities, and a gamma distribution was applied to the costs. A cost-effectiveness threshold of BRL 40.000/QALYs was applied., Results: As the threshold of BRL 40.000/QALYs, we obtained 512 (51.2%) simulations that can be considered cost-effective to IMT added in PR programs. IMT added in PR treatment was more expensive (USD 317.73 versus USD 293.93) and more effective (incremental utility of 0.03 to INT group) than PR alone. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was 793.93 USD/QALY., Conclusions: IMT added to PR is a cost-effective alternative compared with PR for post-COVID-19 patients. This strategy may result in net cost savings and improvements in the QALYs for these patients.

This study aims to (1) compare the kinetics of pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO2p), skeletal muscle deoxygenation ([HHb]), and microvascular O 2 delivery (QO 2 mv) between heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and those with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and (2) explore the correlation between body composition, kinetic parameters, and exercise performance. Twenty-one patients (10 HFpEF and 11 HFrEF) underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing to assess VO 2 kinetics, with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) employed to measure [HHb]. Microvascular O 2 delivery (QO 2 mv) was calculated using the Fick principle. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was performed to evaluate body composition. HFrEF patients exhibited significantly slower VO 2 kinetics (time constant [t]: 63 ± 10.8 s vs. 45.4 ± 7.9 s; P < 0.05) and quicker [HHb] response (t: 12.4 ± 9.9 s vs. 25 ± 11.6 s; P < 0.05). Microvascular O2 delivery (QO 2 mv) was higher in HFrEF patients (3.6 ± 1.2 vs. 1.7 ± 0.8; P < 0.05), who also experienced shorter time to exercise intolerance (281.6 ± 84 s vs. 405.3 ± 96 s; P < 0.05). Correlation analyses revealed a significant negative relationship between time to exercise and both QO 2 mv (ρ= -0.51; P < 0.05) and VO2 kinetics (ρ= -0.63). Body adiposity was negatively correlated with [HHb] amplitude (ρ= -0.78) and peak VO 2 (ρ= -0.54), while a positive correlation was observed between lean muscle percentage, [HHb] amplitude, and tau (ρ= 0.74 and 0.57; P < 0.05), respectively. HFrEF patients demonstrate more severely impaired VO2p kinetics, skeletal muscle deoxygenation, and microvascular O 2 delivery compared to HFpEF patients, indicating compromised peripheral function. Additionally, increased adiposity and reduced lean mass are linked to decreased oxygen diffusion capacity and impaired oxygen uptake kinetics in HFrEF patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: There is no definition for strain deformation values in relation to cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in different heart failure (HF) phenotypes., Aim: To identify the relationship between echocardiographic systolic function measurements and CRF in HF patients., Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA recommendations. Studies reporting echocardiographic assessments of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and direct measurement of peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ) in HF patients with reduced or preserved LVEF (HFrEF, HFpEF) were included. The patients were divided into Weber classes according to VO 2peak ., Results: A total of 25 studies involving of 2,136 patients (70.5% with HFpEF) were included. Mean LVEF and LVGLS were similar in HFpEF patients in Weber Class A/B and Class C/D. In HFrEF patients, a non-significant difference was found in LVEF between Weber Class A/B (30.2% [95%CI: 29.6 to 30.9%]) and Class C/D (25.2% [95%CI: 20.5 to 29.9%]). In HFrEF patients, mean LVGLS was significantly lower in Class C/D compared to Class A/B (6.5% [95%CI: 6.0 to 7.1%] and 10.3% [95%CI: 9.0 to 11.5%], respectively). The correlation between VO 2peak and LVGLS (r 2  = 0.245) was nearly twofold stronger than that between VO 2peak and LVEF (r 2  = 0.137)., Conclusions: Low LVGLS values were associated with low CRF in HFrEF patients. Although a weak correlation was found between systolic function at rest and CRF, the correlation between VO 2peak and LVGLS was nearly twofold stronger than that with LVEF, indicating that LVGLS may be a better predictor of CRF in patients with HFrEF., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. There is no relationship with the industry., (Copyright © 2023 Hellenic Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength, length of hospital stay (LOS), and quality of life (QOL) following coronary artery bypass graft surgery., Methods: The search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Cochrane Handbook and included the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, and CENTRAL. The review included randomized controlled trials utilizing IMT during phase 1 or 2 postoperative cardiac rehabilitation (PoCR) versus alternative treatment (active or passive control) in patients following coronary artery bypass graft surgery., Results: Fifteen studies were included (11 phase 1 studies, 4 phase 2 studies) with no reported adverse events. In phase 1 PoCR, IMT reduced the LOS (-1.02 days; 95% CI = -2.00 to -0.03) and increased exercise capacity (6-minute walk distance) (+75.46 m; 95% CI = 52.34 to 98.57), and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) (10.46 cm H2O; 95% CI = 2.83 to 18.10), but had no effect on maximal expiratory pressure. In phase 2 PoCR, IMT increased 6-minute walk distance (45.84 m; 95% CI = 10.89 to 80.80), MIP (-23.19 cm H2O; 95% CI = -31.31 to -15), maximal expiratory pressure (20.18 cm H2O; 95% CI = 9.60 to 30.76), and QOL (-11.17; 95% CI = -17.98 to -4.36), with no effect on peak oxygen uptake. There was a high risk of bias for MIP (75% of the phase 1 studies) and 6MWT (1 of 4 phase 2 studies). The quality of the evidence ranged from very low to moderate., Conclusion: IMT significantly improves exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength, LOS, and QOL in phase 1 and 2 PoCR., Impact: IMT may benefit patients during phase 1 and 2 of PoCR, considering the safety, low cost, and potential benefits., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: To propose a standardized method for the use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to describe the health status in Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) and investigate interrater agreement in the linking process in instruments and clinical exams using the ICF categories., Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional and interrater agreement study that followed the Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies. Two raters performed the linking coding process in instruments of quality of life, anxiety and depression, fatigue and pulmonary function, inspiratory muscle strength and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The codes were qualified by standards defined to each instrument and exams., Results: The instrument with the lowest Cohen's Kappa coefficient was anxiety and depression ( k  = 0.57). Forty ICF codes were linked to clinical instruments and exams. The fatigue instrument presented a higher degree of disability by the qualification process, from severe to complete, in the linked codes., Conclusion: The study presents a standardized method for the assessment of the health status of patients with PACS through ICF. Restriction in work performance, socialization and family relationships as well as disabilities in physical endurance, fatigue and exercise tolerance were found in the sample. The agreement between the raters was moderate to perfect, demonstrating that the method can be reproducible.

Objectives: To analyze diaphragmatic thickness, at end-inspiration and end-expiration, diaphragmatic thickening index and mobility via US under two different modalities of inspiratory muscle loading, in two different modalities of inspiratory muscle loading and different load intensities at full-vital capacity maneuvers and the relationship between diaphragmatic thickness with pulmonary function tests in participants with HF., Methods: This randomized crossover trial, enrolled with 17 HF subjects, evaluated diaphragm thickness (Tdi, mm), fractional thickness (TFdi, %), and mobility (mm) US during low and high intensities (30% and 60% of maximal inspiratory pressure-MIP) with two modalities of inspiratory muscle loading mechanical threshold loading (MTL) and tapered flow-resistive loading (TFRL)., Results: Both MTL and TFRL produced a increase in Tdi, but only with high intensity loading compared to baseline-2.21 (0.26) vs. 2.68 (0.33) and 2.73 (0.44) mm; p = .01. TFdi was greater than baseline under all conditions, except during low intensity of TFRL. Diaphragm mobility was greater than baseline under all conditions, and high intensity of TFRL elicited greater mobility compared to all other conditions. Additionally, baseline Tdi was moderately correlated with pulmonary function tests., Conclusions: MTL and TFRL modalities elicit similar increases in diaphragm thickness at loads, but only during high intensity loading it was greater than baseline. Diaphragm mobility was significantly greater than baseline under both loads and devices, and at high intensity compared to low intensity, although TFRL produced greater mobility compared to modalities of inspiratory muscle loading. There is an association between diaphragm thickness and pulmonary function tests., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Zacarias Rondinel et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

COVID-19 may have residual consequences in multiple organs, including the cardiovascular system. The purpose of the present investigation is to quantify myocardial function in symptomatic individuals with long COVID and investigate the association between illness severity and myocardial function. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in which symptomatic individuals with previous COVID-19 underwent echocardiographic analysis of left ventricle global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and myocardial work (MW). Individuals also performed cardiopulmonary testing (CPX) to assess peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ). Differences between illness severity subgroups were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. Correlations were calculated using the Spearman correlation test. Multilinear regressions were performed to evaluate the influences of COVID-19 severity, body mass index, age, and sex on MW. Fifty-six individuals were included (critical subgroup: 17; moderate/severe subgroup: 39), 59% females; median age: 56 years (IQR: 43-63). CPX revealed a substantial reduction in VO2 peak (median of 53% of predicted values). LVGLS were not statistically different between subgroups. Global wasted work (GWW) was higher in the critical subgroup [146 (104-212) versus 121 (74-163) mmHg%, p = 0.01], and global work efficiency (GWE) was lower in this subgroup [93 (91-95) versus 94 (93-96), p = 0.03]. Illness severity was the only independent predictor of GWW and GWE (GWW: r 2  = 0.167; p = 0.009; GWE: r 2  = 0.172; p = 0.005) in multilinear regressions. In our study with long COVID-19 individuals, despite having a similar LVGLS, patients had subclinical LV dysfunction, demonstrated only by an increase in GWW and a decrease in GWE., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common and prevalent musculoskeletal disease associated with population aging, negatively impacting function and quality of life. A consequence of knee OA is quadriceps muscle weakness. Musculoskeletal rehabilitation using low load exercises, associated with Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) may be a useful alternative to high load exercises when those cannot be tolerated. Several systematic reviews have reported inconclusive results due to discrepancies in study findings, heterogeneity of results, evaluated time points, and research questions explored., Objective: To perform an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses, synthesizing the most recent evidence on the effects of muscle strength training with BFR for knee OA., Methodology: Systematic reviews that include primary controlled and randomized clinical trials will be considered for inclusion. Articles will be considered only if they present a clear and reproducible methodological structure, and when they clearly demonstrate that a critical analysis of the evidence was carried out using instrumented analysis. Narrative reviews, other types of review, overviews of systematic reviews, and diagnostic, prognostic and economic evaluation studies will be excluded. Studies must include adults aged 40 years and older with a diagnosis of knee OA. Two authors will perform an electronic search with guidance from an experienced librarian. The following databases will be searched: PubMed via MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), PEDro, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) via EBSCO host, Web of Science, and the gray literature. The search strategy used in the databases will follow the acronym PICOS (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study design). Screening (i.e., titles and abstracts) of studies identified by the search strategy will be selected using Rayyan (http://rayyan.qcri.org). The quality assessment will be performed using the "Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews" (AMSTAR-2) tool., Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, CRD42022367209., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Machado, Almeida, do Vale, Ribeiro, Cipriano, Cipriano Junior and Martins.)

Background: Respiratory sarcopenia is characterized by the weakness of respiratory muscles associated with sarcopenia due to aging or systemic diseases such as chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with CKD undergoing dialysis are particularly susceptible to respiratory muscle weakness caused by factors such as fluid overload and electrolyte imbalance. This weakness not only affects ventilation but also impairs oxygen uptake and delivery to muscle tissue, potentially leading to severe sarcopenia. Thus, the objective of this study is to conduct a respiratory sarcopenia screening in patients with CKD undergoing haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD)., Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional and multicentre study conducted between March 2023 and March 2025. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at two centres. Sarcopenia diagnosis is determined based on low handgrip strength and amount of appendicular skeletal muscle mass, assessed through bioelectrical impedance analysis. Respiratory sarcopenia is diagnosed in patients with sarcopenia who have low inspiratory muscle strength, evaluated through a manovacuometry test. The severity of sarcopenia and respiratory sarcopenia is defined, respectively, by low physical performance (measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery and Timed-Up and Go test) and pulmonary performance (measured through spirometry). Thus, this study will include 81 patients undergoing dialysis (41 on HD and 40 on PD) from three participating centres., Discussion: The literature has been focused on respiratory function in CKD; however, the relationship with sarcopenia remains understudied. We believe that, similar to appendicular skeleton muscles, the axial skeleton muscles are also likely to weaken with the presence of chronic disease, such as CKD., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To compare the elicited exercise responses at ventilatory thresholds (VTs: VT1 and VT2) identified by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) with the guideline-directed exercise intensity domains; to propose equations to predict heart rate (HR) at VTs; and to compare the accuracy of prescription methods., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 972 maximal treadmill CPET on patients with CVD. First, VTs were identified and compared with guideline-directed exercise intensity domains. Second, multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to generate prediction equations for HR at VTs. Finally, the accuracy of prescription methods was assessed by the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE)., Results: Significant dispersions of individual responses were found for VTs, with the same relative intensity of exercise corresponding to different guideline-directed exercise intensity domains. A mathematical error inherent to methods based on percentages of peak effort was identified, which may help to explain the dispersions. Tailored multivariable equations yielded r 2 of 0.726 for VT1 and 0.901 for VT2. MAPE for the novel VT1 equation was 6.0%, lower than that for guideline-based prescription methods (9.5 to 23.8%). MAPE for the novel VT2 equation was 4.3%, lower than guideline-based methods (5.8%-19.3%)., Conclusion: The guideline-based exercise intensity domains for cardiovascular rehabilitation revealed inconsistencies and heterogeneity, which limits the currently used methods. New multivariable equations for patients with CVD were developed and demonstrated better accuracy, indicating that this methodology may be a valid alternative when CPET is unavailable., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To investigate the effects of an early neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) protocol on muscle quality and size as well as signaling mediators of muscle growth and systemic inflammation in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI)., Design: Two-arm, single-blinded, parallel-group, randomized, controlled trial with a blinded assessment. Setting . Trauma intensive care unit at a university hospital. Participants . Forty consecutive patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) secondary to TBI were prospectively recruited within the first 24 hours following admission. Interventions . The intervention group (NMES; n  = 20) received a daily session of NMES on the rectus femoris muscle for five consecutive days (55 min/each session). The control group ( n  = 20) received usual care. Main Outcome Measures . Muscle echogenicity and thickness were evaluated by ultrasonography. A daily blood sample was collected to assess circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), inflammatory cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)., Results: Both groups were similar at baseline. A smaller change in muscle echogenicity and thickness (difference between Day 1 and Day 7) was found in the control group compared to the NMES group (29.9 ± 2.1 vs. 3.0 ± 1.2, p < 0.001; -0.79 ± 0.12 vs. -0.01 ± 0.06, p < 0.001, respectively). Circulating levels of IGF-I, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-y), and MMP were similar between groups., Conclusion: An early NMES protocol can preserve muscle size and quality and maintain systemic levels of signaling mediators of muscle growth and inflammation in patients with TBI. This trial is registered with https://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br under number RBR-2db., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Luciana Vieira et al.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide comprehensive reference values for oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) in healthy adults. International heterogeneity was also explored through published databases., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) from a Brazilian healthy adult sample, in which absolute OUES and values normalized by weight and body surface area (BSA) were calculated. Data were stratified by sex and age group. Prediction equations were calculated using age and anthropometric variables. International data were pooled and differences were explored using factorial analysis of variance or the t test, as appropriate. The OUES age-related patterns were calculated using regression analysis., Results: A total of 3544 CPX were included (1970 males and 1574 females) and the age ranged from 20-80 yr. Males had higher values than females for OUES, OUES/kg, and OUES/BSA. Lower values were found with aging and the data followed a quadratic regression curve. Reference value tables and predictive equations were provided for absolute and normalized OUES in both sexes. International comparisons of absolute OUES values among Brazilian, European, and Japanese data revealed substantial heterogeneity. The OUES/BSA measure minimized the discrepancies between Brazilian and European data., Conclusions: Our study provided comprehensive OUES reference values in a large healthy adult sample from South America with a wide age range and included absolute and normalized values. Differences observed between Brazilian and European data were reduced in the BSA-normalized OUES., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis., Objectives: The objective was to summarize the effectiveness of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) on the quality of life in individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)., Methods: An online systematic literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed CENTRAL, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, SciELO, CINAHL/SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO. Randomized and non-randomized clinical studies investigating the effectiveness of IMT in quality of life were included in the present study. The results used the mean difference and 95% confidence interval for maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and the standardized mean differences for the quality of life and maximum ventilation volume., Results: The search found 232 papers, and after the screening, four studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analytical procedures (n = 150 participants). No changes were demonstrated in the quality of life domains (general health, physical function, mental health, vitality, social function, emotional problem, and pain) after IMT. The IMT provided a considerable effect over the MIP but not on FEV 1 and MEP. Conversely, it was not able to provide changes in any of the quality of life domains. None of the included studies evaluated the IMT effects on the expiratory muscle maximal expiratory pressure., Conclusion: Evidence from studies shows that inspiratory muscle training improves the MIP; however, this effect does not seem to translate to any change in the quality of life or respiratory function outcomes in individuals with SCI., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Spinal Cord Society.)

Purpose: To analyse the psychometric properties of the translated and cross-culturally adapted version of the OSAKA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitudes) questionnaire in the Brazilian Portuguese language., Methods: The OSAKA instrument was translated by two independent translators, and the back-translated conciliated version was presented and approved by Washington University, which holds the intellectual property for the OSAKA questionnaire. Physicians from different specialties electronically completed the OSAKA instrument and the ASKME (Assessment of Sleep Knowledge in Medical Education) questionnaire, which was used as an auxiliary instrument to analyse the construct validity., Results: The questionnaire was tested with 176 physicians. The items from the knowledge and attitudes domains presented acceptable internal consistency values, with McDonald's omega coefficients (Ω) of 0.70 and 0.73, respectively. The OSAKA questionnaire showed a moderate correlation with the ASKME instrument (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) and excellent retest reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.81. There were differences in knowledge between the medical specialties (p < 0.001). Regarding attitudes, most respondents considered obstructive sleep apnoea and its diagnosis to be important and felt confident in identifying it, but the same majority did not feel confident in treating the disease., Conclusion: The OSAKA instrument, as a translated and cross-culturally adapted Brazilian Portuguese version, presented psychometric properties with adequate reliability and validity., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) programs in Brazil., Objectives: To describe the characteristics of CR programs in Brazil, the impacts of the first epidemiological wave of COVID-19 (first 60 days) on the programs and present the initiatives used to overcome the impacts., Method: This cross-sectional and retrospective study utilized a specific online survey. Participants were coordinators of CR programs. Variables were presented by Brazilian geographic region and as the following categories: demographic, clinical and operational characteristics. The significance level for statistical analysis was set at 5%., Results: Fifty-nine CR programs were responsible for 5,349 patients, of which only 1,817 were post-acute cardiovascular events, which corresponded to 1.99% of hospitalized patients in the month prior to the survey (n=91,231). The greatest impact was the suspension of on-site activities, which occurred similarly in areas with the highest and the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the period. Forty-five programs (75%) were shortly interrupted, while three (5%) were ended. All 42 programs that already used remote rehabilitation strategies noticed a substantial increase in activities, based primarily on the use of media and video calling. Only three (5%) considered safe to see patients during the first 60 days., Conclusions: There was a reduction in the number of CR programs with the COVID-19 pandemic. Telerehabilitation activities increased during the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this was not enough to overcome the reduction in CR program activities across Brazil.

Background: Post-COVID-19 exercise intolerance is poorly understood. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can identify the underlying exercise limitations., Objectives: To evaluate the source and magnitude of exercise intolerance in post-COVID-19 subjects., Methods: Cohort study assessing subjects with different COVID-19 illness severities and a control group selected by propensity score matching. In a selected sample with CPET prior to viral infection, before and after comparisons were performed. Level of significance was 5% in the entire analysis., Results: One hundred forty-four subjects with COVID-19 were assessed (median age: 43.0 years, 57% male), with different illness severities (60% mild, 21% moderate, 19% severe). CPET was performed 11.5 (7.0, 21.2) weeks after disease onset, with exercise limitations being attributed to the peripheral muscle (92%), and the pulmonary (6%), and cardiovascular (2%) systems. Lower median percent-predicted peak oxygen uptake was observed in the severe subgroup (72.2%) as compared to the controls (91.6%). Oxygen uptake differed among illness severities and controls at peak and ventilatory thresholds. Conversely, ventilatory equivalents, oxygen uptake efficiency slope, and peak oxygen pulse were similar. Subgroup analysis of 42 subjects with prior CPET revealed significant reduction in only peak treadmill speed in the mild subgroup and in oxygen uptake at peak and ventilatory thresholds in the moderate/severe subgroup. By contrast, ventilatory equivalents, oxygen uptake efficiency slope, and peak oxygen pulse did not change significantly., Conclusions: Peripheral muscle fatigue was the most common exercise limitation etiology in post-COVID-19 patients regardless of the illness severity. Data suggest that treatment should emphasize comprehensive rehabilitation programs, including aerobic and muscle strengthening components.

The aim of this study was to investigate mobility, physical functioning, peripheral muscle strength, inspiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function in surgical cancer patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). We conducted a prospective cohort study with 85 patients. Mobility, physical functioning, peripheral muscle strength, inspiratory muscle strength, and pulmonary function were assessed using the following tests: ICU Mobility Scale (IMS); Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment (CPAx); handgrip strength and Medical Research Council Sum-Score (MRC-SS); maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and S-Index; and peak inspiratory flow, respectively. The assessments were undertaken at ICU admission and discharge. The data were analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk and Wilcoxon tests and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Significant differences in inspiratory muscle strength, CPAx, grip strength, MRC-SS, MIP, S-Index, and peak inspiratory flow scores were observed between ICU admission and discharge. Grip strength showed a moderate correlation with MIP at admission and discharge. The findings also show a moderate correlation between S-Index scores and both MIP and peak inspiratory flow scores at admission and a strong correlation at discharge. Patients showed a gradual improvement in mobility, physical functioning, peripheral and inspiratory muscle strength, and inspiratory flow during their stay in the ICU., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Low-frequency electrical stimulation (LFES) is an adjuvant method for heart failure (HF) patients with restrictions to start an exercise. However, the impact on molecular changes in circulating is unknown. We investigated the effects of 10 weeks of home-based LFES on plasma cytokines profile, redox biomarkers, metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity, and exercise performance in HF patients. Methods: Twenty-four HF patients (52.45 ± 9.15 years) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) (EF < 40%), were randomly assigned to a home-based LFES or sham protocol. Plasma cytokines profile was assessed through interleukins, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor levels. Oxidative stress was evaluated through ferric reducing antioxidant power, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. The MMPs activity were analyzed by zymography. Cardiorespiratory capacity and muscle strength were evaluated by cardiopulmonary test and isokinetic. Results: LFES was able to increase the active-MMP2 activity post compared to pre-training (0.057 to 0.163, p = 0.0001), while it decreased the active-MMP9 (0.135 to 0.093, p = 0.02). However, it did not elicit changes in cytokines, redox biomarkers, or exercise performance (p > 0.05). Conclusion: LFES protocol is a promising intervention to modulate MMPs activity in HFrEF patients, although with limited functional effects. These preliminary responses may help the muscle to adapt to future mechanical demands dynamically.

Purpose: This study aimed to propose reference standards for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) for Brazil from a pooled analysis and to compare peak oxygen uptake (V˙ o2peak ) in Brazilian, United States (US), and Norwegian samples, exploring possible national and international differences., Methods: Reference values for treadmill V˙ o2peak in three different Brazilian regions were assessed from previous publications. We analyzed available samples to assess possible differences, generate weighted average data for Brazil, and compared them with US and Norwegian data., Results: Brazilian reference values had a lower V˙ o2peak value for the Northeast region and a higher V˙ o2peak value for the Southeast region for all sex and age groups. International comparisons with the Brazilian pooled data (n = 26661) revealed higher values for the Norwegian sample (n = 3810) and lower values for the US sample (n = 16278). The observed heterogeneity in CRF is possibly related to differences in anthropometric (weight, height) and socioeconomic factors, which differed among the samples. Also, Brazilian data showed a curvilinear V˙ o2peak age reduction trend rather than the linear characteristic commonly utilized, and the regression curves were different from those for US and Norwegian data., Conclusion: This study provides new CRF reference standards for Brazil. After pooling data from three Brazilian regions, a comparison revealed notable differences between regions, evidencing a negative gradient from Southern to Northern regions. Similarly, the international comparisons between Brazil, US, and Norway data revealed CRF heterogeneity, with differences in the V˙ o2peak values and in the age relationship patterns. These findings reinforce the importance of using national- or regional-specific V˙ o2peak reference values, ensuring proper CRF evaluation., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: None., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Spirometry is underused in heart failure (HF) and the extent to which each defect associates with exercise capacity and prognosis is unclear., Objective: To determine the distinct relationship of continuous %predicted FVC (ppFVC) and FEV1/FVC with: 1) maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), exercise performance; and 2) prognosis for the composite of cardiovascular death, heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implant., Methods: A cohort of 111 HF participants (AHA stages C/D) without diagnosed pneumopathy, spirometry, manovacuometry and maximum cardiopulmonary test. The association magnitudes were verified by linear and Cox (HR; 95% CI) regressions, age/sex adjusted. A p<0.05 was considered significant., Results: Age was 57±12 years, 60% men, 64% in NYHA III. Every 10%-point increase in FEV1/FVC [β 7% (95% CI: 3-10)] and ppFVC [4% (2-6)] associated with ventilatory reserve (VRes), however only ppFVC associated with MIP [3.8 cmH2O (0.3-7.3)], LVEF [2.1% (0.5-3.8)] and VO2peak [0.5 mL/kg/min (0.1-1.0)], accounting for age/sex. In 2.2 years (mean), 22 events occurred, and neither FEV1/FVC (HR 1.44; 95% CI: 0.97-2.13) nor ppFVC (HR 1.13; 0.89-1.43) was significantly associated with the outcome. Only in the LVEF ≤50% subgroup (n=87, 20 events), FEV1/FVC (HR 1.50; 1.01-2.23), but not ppFVC, was associated with greater risk., Conclusions: In chronic HF, reduced ppFVC associated with lower MIP, LVEF, VRes and VO2peak, but no distinct poorer prognosis over 2.2 years of follow-up. Distinctively, FEV1/FVC was associated only with VRes, and, in participants with LVEF ≤50%, FEV1/FVC reduction proportionally worsened prognosis. Therefore, FEV1/FVC and ppFVC add supplementary information regarding HF phenotyping.

Objective: To identify the clinical and epidemiological profile of adult intensive care units in Brazil., Methods: A systematic review was performed using a comprehensive strategy to search PubMed®, Embase, SciELO, and the Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. The eligibility criteria for this review were observational studies that described the epidemiological and/or clinical profile of critically ill patients admitted to Brazilian intensive care units and were published between 2007 and 2020., Results: From the 4,457 identified studies, 27 were eligible for this review, constituting an analysis of 113 intensive care units and a final sample of 75,280 individuals. There was a predominance of male and elderly patients. Cardiovascular diseases were the main cause of admission to the intensive care unit. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was the most widely used disease severity assessment system. The length of stay and mortality in the intensive care unit varied widely between institutions., Conclusion: These results can help guide the planning and organization of intensive care units, providing support for decision-making and the implementation of interventions that ensure better quality patient care.Registration PROSPERO: CRD4201911808.

Introduction: A significant number of patients with COVID-19 may experience dyspnoea, anxiety, depression, pain, fatigue and physical impairment symptoms, raising the need for a multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach, especially for those with advanced age, obesity, comorbidities and organ failure. Traditional pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), including exercise training, psychosocial counselling and education, has been employed to improve pulmonary function, exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with COVID-19. However, the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in PR programmes remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether the addition of a supervised IMT in a PR is more effective than PR itself in improving dyspnoea, health-related quality of life and exercise capacity in symptomatic patients with post-COVID-19., Methods and Analysis: This parallel-group, assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial, powered for superiority, aimed to assess exercise capacity as the primary outcome. A total of 138 are being recruited at two PR centres in Brazil. Following baseline testing, participants will be randomised using concealed allocation, to receive either (1) standard PR with sham IMT or (2) standard PR added to IMT. Treatment effects or differences between the outcomes (at baseline, after 8 and 16 weeks, and after 6 months) of the study groups will be analysed using an ordinary two-way analysis of variance., Ethics and Dissemination: This trial was approved by the Brazilian National Ethics Committee and obtained approval on 7 October 2020 (document number 4324069). The findings will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations., Trial Registration Number: NCT04595097., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Abstract: Blood flow restriction (BFR) training applied prior to a subsequent exercise has been used as a method to induce changes in oxygen uptake pulmonary kinetics (O2P) and exercise performance. However, the effects of a moderate-intensity training associated with BFR on a subsequent high-intensity exercise on O2P and cardiac output (QT) kinetics, exercise tolerance, and efficiency remain unknown.This prospective physiologic study was performed at the Exercise Physiology Lab, University of Brasilia. Ten healthy females (mean ± SD values: age = 21.3 ± 2.2 years; height = 1.6 ± 0.07 m, and weight = 55.6 ± 8.8 kg) underwent moderate-intensity training associated with or without BFR for 6 minutes prior to a maximal high-intensity exercise bout. O2P, heart rate, and QT kinetics and gross efficiency were obtained during the high-intensity constant workload exercise test.No differences were observed in O2P, heart rate, and QT kinetics in the subsequent high-intensity exercise following BFR training. However, exercise tolerance and gross efficiency were significantly greater after BFR (220 ± 45 vs 136 ± 30 seconds; P < .05, and 32.8 ± 6.3 vs 27.1 ± 5.4%; P < .05, respectively), which also resulted in lower oxygen cost (1382 ± 227 vs 1695 ± 305 mL min-1).We concluded that moderate-intensity BFR training implemented prior to a high-intensity protocol did not accelerate subsequent O2P and QT kinetics, but it has the potential to improve both exercise tolerance and work efficiency at high workloads., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The aim of this study was to analyze and assess the association between functional status (FS) and muscle strength (MS) in young adults, adults and older adults in an intensive care unit (ICU). We conducted a prospective cohort study with 48 patients. FS was assessed using the Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit (FSS-ICU) and MS was measured using the Medical Research Council Sum-Score (MRC-SS) and by testing handgrip strength (HS). The assessments were performed on awakening and ICU discharge. The data were analyzed using the Kruskall-Wallis, chi-squared, Wilcoxon and Spearman's correlation tests. FS and MRC-SS scores were higher on ICU discharge in all groups. Gains were lowest in the older adult group. HS was greater in both hands on ICU discharge in all groups except the adults. FSS-ICU on both awakening and ICU discharge was highest in the adults; HS-R was lowest in the older adults. There was a strong association between FS and MS in the young adults and adults. FS and MS showed progressive improvement during ICU stay. Gains in FS and MS on awakening and ICU discharge were lowest among the older adults. Important associations were found between these variables in all groups except the older adults. This can be explained by the multifactorial nature of illness and incapacity in this group.

Objective: The purposed of this study was to valuate the effect of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on flow-mediated dilation and heart rate variability of patients with heart failure., Background: Osteopathic manipulative treatment modulates both the vascular and autonomic nervous system (ANS) in healthy volunteers. However, the acute and time-course effects of the OMT on patients with an overactive ANS remain unclear., Methods: This randomized controlled trial study included 20 patients with heart failure aged 50 to 60 years, allocated to a single session of OMT (base of the skull, retromaxillary region, heart, and thoracic duct) or sham. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) at the brachial artery, hemodynamic measures, and heart rate variability were assessed in 3 periods (baseline, immediately after the intervention, and after 15 minutes). Multivariate analysis of variance procedure was used to compare intervention and periods., Results: The OMT group had a greater FMD modulation compared with the sham (FMD,% =  9.5 vs. -5.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): [6.6, -12.35] vs. [-14.25, 2.8]; p = 0.001) and grater peak diameter (PD, mm =  0.77 vs -0.16 mm, 95% CI: [0.31,-1.24] vs [-0.63, 0.29]; P =  0.001), suggesting an important acute and time-course vascular effect from OMT. We also found some relevant heart rate variability modulation after 15 minutes from OMT: high frequency (HF, ms 2  = 295 vs -354, 95% CI: [144.2, -769]; P = .001) and low frequency (LF, ms 2 ) = 670 vs 775, 95% CI: [-98, 3591]; P = .001), suggesting a time-course ANS modulation after OMT., Conclusions: Osteopathic manipulative treatment was effective at increasing brachial blood flow and stimulating the vagal system in patients with heart failure. Moreover, vascular changes seem to precede the autonomic modulation., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the reliability (interrater and intrarater) and agreement (repeatability and reproducibility) properties of tapered flow resistive loading (TFRL) measures in patients with heart failure (HF)., Methods: For this cross-sectional study, participants were recruited from the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program at the University of Brasilia from July 2015 to July 2016. All patients participated in the study, and 10 were randomly chosen for intrarater and interrater reliability testing. The 124 participants with HF (75% men) were 57.6 (SD = 1.81) years old and had a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 38.9% (SD = 15%) and a peak oxygen consumption of 13.05 (SD = 5.3) mL·kg·min-1. The main outcome measures were the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) measured with a standard manovacuometer (SM) and the MIP and maximal dynamic inspiratory pressure (S-Index) obtained with TFRL. The S-Index reliability (interrater and intrarater) was examined by 2 evaluators, the S-Index repeatability was examined with 10 repetitions, and the reproducibility of the MIP and S-Index was measured with SM and TFRL, respectively., Results: The reliability analysis revealed high S-Index interrater and intrarater reliability values (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs] of 0.89 [95% CI = 0.58-0.98] and 0.97 [95% CI = 0.89-0.99], respectively). Repeatability analyses revealed that 8 maneuvers were required to reach the maximum S-Index in 75.81% (95% CI = 68.27-83.34) of the population. The reproducibility of TFRL measures (S-Index = 68.8 [SD = 32.8] cm H2O; MIP = 66 [SD = 32.3] cm H2O) was slightly lower than that of the SM measurement (MIP = 70.1 [SD = 35.9] cm H2O)., Conclusions: The TFRL device provided a reliable intrarater and interrater S-Index measure in patients with HF and had acceptable repeatability, requiring 8 maneuvers to produce a stable S-Index measure. The reproducibilities of the S-Index, MIP obtained with SM, and MIP obtained with TRFL were similar., Impact: TRFL is a feasible method to assess both MIP and the S-index as measures of inspiratory muscle strength in patients with HF and can be used for inspiratory muscle training, making the combined testing and training capabilities important in both clinical research and the management of patients with HF., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Study Design: This work is a systematic review with meta-analysis OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effect of electrical stimulation (ES) on skeletal muscle volume and spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI)., Setting: University of Brasilia, Brazil METHODS: Searches were conducted of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro, PsycINFO and EMBASE electronic databases for relevant articles published up to June 2018. No restrictions were imposed regarding the year of publication. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials involving adults with SCI comparing ES to an active or passive control. Two independent reviewers extracted the data from the selected studies and methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale., Results: The initial search led to the retrieval of 164 studies, seven of which met the eligibility criteria, but only six were included in the meta-analysis. The six studies comprised 104 patients with complete or incomplete SCI. In the two studies that investigated the use of ES on muscle volume of the lower limbs, the overall effect was statistically significant in patients with acute SCI (mean difference: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.04 to 1.69; p < 0.04). Among the four studies that examined the use of ES for spasticity of the lower limb, the overall effect was non-significant (mean difference: 0.55; 95% CI: -0.31 to 1.41; p = 0.21)., Conclusions: Electrical stimulation was found to be an effective method for increasing muscle volume in SCI patients, but had no effect on spasticity. Further investigation of the effect of ES on spasticity in SCI is needed.