Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine

Original Article: J Korean Acad Rehabil Med. 2009;33(5):584-590.; Comparison of Energy Expenditure and Walking Performance by Arm Cycling and Leg Cycling Exercise.; Bae, Byung Woo , Lee, Don Shin , Seo, Young Joo , Baek, Jong Hoon , Kim, Eun Sang , Park, Hong Souk , Cho, Sung Rae; ¹Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Korea. srcho918@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
²Clinical Research Center, Yonsei University Medical Center, Korea.

Abstract: Objective
To investigate the effect of cycling ergometry and to compare energy expenditure and walking performance after arm cycling with those after leg cycling in patients with brain diseases. Method: Twenty-two adults with brain diseases (6 stroke, 4 traumatic brain injury, 4 brain tumor, 4 parkinsonism, 4 cerebral palsy) were recruited as subjects. They were randomly assigned to disease-matched groups; arm cycling and leg cycling (n=11 each). VO2 (L/min), VCO2 (L/min), VE (L/min), O2 rate (ml/kgㆍmin), O2 pulse (ml/kgㆍbpm), O2 cost (ml/kgㆍm) and VO2 peak (ml/kgㆍmin) during cycling test or walking test, and walking performance were evaluated after cycling training for 4∼6 weeks. Results: Arm cycling exercise did not improve any parameters such as VO2, VCO2, O2 rate and O2 cost during walking test, whereas it increased VCO2, VE and O2 pulse during cycling test. In contrast, leg cycling significantly improved walking velocity and distance, and decreased O2 cost during walking test. It also increased all parameters including VO2 peak during cycling test (p＜0.05). Conclusion: Leg cycling exercise improved walking performance and energy efficiency of walking as well as cardiorespiratory fitness relative to arm cycling. Therefore, leg cycling promoted lower-extremity task such as walking in patients with brain diseases. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2009; 33: 584-590)

Keywords :Ergometry, Exercise, Energy expenditure, Walking, Brain diseases