Comparison of peak oxygen uptake and exercise efficiency between upper-body poling and arm crank ergometry in trained paraplegic and able-bodied participants.

Purpose: To compare peak oxygen uptake (VO _2peak ) and exercise efficiency between upper-body poling (UBP) and arm crank ergometry (ACE) in able-bodied (AB) and paraplegic participants (PARA).
Methods: Seven PARA and eleven AB upper-body trained participants performed four 5-min submaximal stages, and an incremental test to exhaustion in UBP and ACE. VO _2peak was the highest 30-s average during the incremental test. Metabolic rate (joule/second = watt) at fixed power outputs of 40, 60, and 80 W was estimated using linear regression analysis on the original power-output-metabolic-rate data and used to compare exercise efficiency between exercise modes and groups.
Results: VO _2peak did not significantly differ between UBP and ACE (p = 0.101), although peak power output was 19% lower in UBP (p < 0.001). Metabolic rate at fixed power outputs was 24% higher in UBP compared to ACE (p < 0.001), i.e., exercise efficiency was lower in UBP. PARA had 24% lower VO _2peak compared to AB (p = 0.010), although there were no significant differences in peak power output between PARA and AB (p = 0.209).
Conclusions: In upper-body-trained PARA and AB participants, VO _2peak did not differ between UBP and ACE, indicating that these two test modes tax the cardiovascular system similarly when the upper body is restricted. As such, the 19% lower peak power output in UBP compared to ACE may be explained by the coinciding lower efficiency.