- Title
- Independently ambulant, community-dwelling stroke survivors have reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, mobility and knee strength compared to an age- and gendermatched cohort
- Creator
- Dunn, Ashlee; Marsden, Dianne L.; Van Vliet, Paulette; Spratt, Neil J.; Callister, Robin
- Relation
- Funding BodyARCGrant NumberFT100100439 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT100100439
- Relation
- Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation Vol. 24, Issue 3, p. 163-169
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10749357.2016.1236482
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2017
- Description
- Background: Most exercise interventions for stroke survivors are designed for those who have substantial motor and functional disabilities. There remains a group of well-recovered stroke survivors who have yet to be investigated in terms of their physical capacity and fitness levels. Objective: To assess and compare the physical capacities of independently ambulant, community-dwelling stroke survivors to age- and gender-matched comparison participants. Methods: Data were obtained from 17.stroke survivors participating in the How FITSS? Trial, all with functional ambulatory category of ≥4.and a self-selected walking speed ≥0.8.m s-1. An additional 17 healthy control participants were recruited. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was measured using oxygen consumption (VO2peak), and additional measures of walking speed (m s-1), leg strength and body composition were also assessed. Differences between groups were assessed by matched pairs t-tests. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. Results: There were no significant differences in age, BMI, muscle mass or body fat between groups (p > 0.05). Peak VO₂ was lower in the stroke group for the shuttle walk test (p = 0.037) and progressive cycle test (p = 0.019), as were all CRF test performance measures (p < 0.05). Stroke survivors walked significantly (p < 0.001) slower at both self-selected and fast speeds. Effect sizes of group differences for all leg strength variables were medium to large, with peak torque lower in the stroke group for all trials. Conclusions: Despite being independently ambulant and community dwelling, the CRF, walking speed and leg strength of this group were reduced compared to non-stroke comparison participants. These patients may benefit from undertaking targeted exercise programmes.
- Subject
- stroke; cardiopulmonary exercise test; six-minute walk; shuttle walk; cycle ergometer; physical capacity; oxygen consumption; rehabilitation
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1391698
- Identifier
- uon:33280
- Identifier
- ISSN:1074-9357
- Language
- eng
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