PTPilotDisability and rehabilitation2019

Oxygen uptake on-kinetics before and after aerobic exercise training in individuals with traumatic brain injury.

Lisa M K Chin, Leighton Chan, Bart Drinkard and 1 others

PMID 29961351

WHAT IT FOUND

After 12 weeks of supervised treadmill exercise, seven adults with traumatic brain injury reached a steady level of oxygen use faster at a set treadmill workload.

No control group was used.

Key findings

01The VO2 time constant was faster after training by 11.7 seconds at the same absolute power output and by 9.0 seconds at the relative power output.

02Total response time was faster after training by 38.5 seconds at the same absolute power output and by 26.7 seconds at the relative power output, and normalized O2 deficit was lower by 3.2% and 2.5%.

03The study included 7 participants and had no control group, limiting generalization.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

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What it does not show

Only 7 participants completed the oxygen uptake kinetics testing, and they came from a restricted geographical area. There was no control group, so changes after training cannot be compared with what would have happened without training. Perceived fatigue during activity and quality of life were not measured, so the study does not show how participants felt during daily tasks. Participants had to be able to walk on a treadmill without assistance, so the results do not address people with more severe mobility limitations.

Declared interests

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not read this as proof that aerobic exercise training reduces fatigue in traumatic brain injury. The study had only 7 participants, no control group, and did not measure perceived fatigue during activities.

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