Toward a Standardized and Individualized Laboratory-Based Protocol for Wheelchair-Specific Exercise Capacity Testing in Wheelchair Athletes: A Scoping Review.
Rowie J F Janssen, Sonja de Groot, Lucas H V Van der Woude and 2 others
PMID 34930864WHAT IT FOUND
No standard way to test wheelchair athletes' exercise capacity exists.
Reviews found huge differences in equipment, protocols, and outcomes, making comparisons impossible. The authors propose a new standardized, individualized protocol to fix this inconsistency.
Key findings
01Existing laboratory tests for wheelchair athletes vary widely in equipment, protocol design, and reported outcomes, preventing valid comparisons between studies.
02The review proposes a standardized yet individualized testing protocol, including using a roller ergometer and the athlete's own competition wheelchair.
03Current research lacks consistent reporting of participant characteristics like time since injury and training hours, which are essential for interpreting test results.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a scoping review, so it maps the literature but does not evaluate the quality of the included studies. The proposed standardized protocol is based on common features and existing rehabilitation research, but it has not yet been validated in a large group of wheelchair athletes. The associations used to individualize the protocol were originally developed in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury and may not apply to all wheelchair athletes or classifications.
Declared interests
The study was funded by ZonMw (project number: 546003002). The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the proposed protocol is validated or superior to existing methods. It is a suggestion for future standardization based on common features, and the authors explicitly state that its usability in a broad group of wheelchair athletes needs further research.