The Course of Physical Capacity in Wheelchair Users During Training for the HandbikeBattle and at 1-Yr Follow-up.
Ingrid Kouwijzer, Linda J M Valent, Marcel W M Post and 4 others
PMID 33278130WHAT IT FOUND
HandbikeBattle training raised physical capacity, and gains held at 1 year for the whole group.
However, capacity dropped significantly in those who did not compete again, while it remained stable or slightly improved in those who did. Having a future event goal appeared key to maintaining fitness.
Key findings
01Physical capacity (peak power output and peak oxygen uptake) increased significantly during the 4-5 month training period and remained stable at 1-year follow-up for the total group.
02Participants who did not compete in the HandbikeBattle event again showed a significant decrease in physical capacity between the post-training test and the 1-year follow-up.
03Participants who competed again showed no significant change (a slight, non-significant improvement) in physical capacity during the follow-up year.
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
The sample size for the follow-up analysis was small (n=33), which limits the statistical power to detect subtle differences or interactions. The study is observational, so it cannot prove that competing again caused the maintenance of capacity; it is possible that participants who maintained capacity were more motivated to compete. The population was heterogeneous (different impairments), so results may not apply to specific diagnoses like spinal cord injury alone. Dropout was significant (20 of 53 did not complete the follow-up test), which may introduce bias, although baseline characteristics were similar between completers and non-completers. The study did not measure the actual physical activity levels during the year, only the capacity at the end, so it is unclear if non-competitors stopped training entirely or just trained less.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that training gains are permanent without ongoing effort. The group-level stability masks a decline in those who stopped competing. A patient who finishes a program and does not set a new goal may lose their physical capacity within a year.