Practical approaches of PULSE Racing in training their athlete for the Cybathlon Global Edition Functional Electrical Stimulation bike race: a case report.
Heleen Docter, Katja Podvinšek, Sander Koomen
PMID 36869321WHAT IT FOUND
For one spinal cord injury athlete, a year-long plan mixing FES cycling with strength work and rest weeks led to a gold medal.
Skin irritation and illness forced constant adjustments, showing that flexible monitoring is more critical than sticking to a rigid schedule.
Key findings
01The athlete's training was heavily interrupted by skin irritation from electrodes and a severe bladder infection, requiring the team to constantly adjust the plan rather than follow it strictly.
02Subjective self-reporting was unreliable because the athlete could not feel leg fatigue, making direct observation by trainers more effective than questionnaires for monitoring overtraining.
03Hybrid cycling (arms and legs together) was avoided despite its physiological benefits because the athlete experienced lightheadedness and discomfort.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a single case report of an elite athlete, so the findings may not generalize to typical clinical populations with SCI. The training plan was highly individualized and adjusted dynamically, making it difficult to isolate which specific components contributed to success. Subjective data collection was limited by the athlete's difficulty in completing daily questionnaires. The race format changed from an outdoor track to an indoor smart trainer, introducing confounding variables in performance comparisons.
Declared interests
The authors are affiliated with the PULSE Racing team, which includes the athlete studied. The study is a report on their own team's preparation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the gold medal as evidence that this specific training protocol is effective for general SCI rehabilitation. The outcome was influenced by elite motivation, a highly specialized team, and a competition format that differed from standard clinical goals. Additionally, the athlete's ability to train was severely limited by skin and bladder health issues, which are common barriers in clinical practice.