Forced and Voluntary Aerobic Cycling Interventions Improve Walking Capacity in Individuals With Chronic Stroke.
Susan M Linder, Sara Davidson, Anson Rosenfeldt and 4 others
PMID 32918907WHAT IT FOUND
Eight weeks of forced or voluntary cycling improved walking distance by 63 meters and 31 meters respectively, while a control group declined by 23 meters.
The forced cycling group exceeded the minimal clinically important difference, suggesting this aerobic approach can meaningfully improve walking capacity in chronic stroke.
Key findings
01The forced exercise group improved walking distance by a mean of 63 meters, and the voluntary exercise group by 31 meters, while the control group declined by 23 meters.
02Both exercise groups showed significant increases in walking distance from baseline to end of treatment, whereas the control group did not.
03Improvement in walking capacity was predicted by higher exercise cadence and power, as well as lower baseline walking distance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study did not monitor physical activity levels outside of the intervention, which could have influenced the results. Baseline walking distances were not equal across the groups, which may have affected the comparison of improvements. The study did not include objective biomechanical measures of lower extremity function to explain the mechanisms of improvement.
Declared interests
Dr. Alberts has authored intellectual property protecting the algorithm associated with the forced exercise bicycle used in the study. The remaining authors declared no conflicts of interest. The studies were funded by the NIH and the American Heart Association.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the improvement in walking capacity was driven solely by increased aerobic fitness. The study found that changes in peak oxygen consumption did not correlate with changes in walking distance, suggesting that the motor training aspects of the cycling intervention were also critical for the functional gains.