Ventilatory Threshold During a Graded Exercise Test in Male Youths with Cerebral Palsy and Spastic Paresis of Lower Limbs

A group of 16 male youth with spastic diplegy of lower extremities were examined. Their mean age was 18.5 years, body height 166.5 ± 6,6 cm, and body mass 57.4 ± 7,7 kg. They were subjected to a graded cycle ergometer arm exercise until exhaustion. The following indices of the circulatory and respiratory systems at maximum intensity and at the ventilatory threshold (VT) were recorded: percentage difference in the inhaled-exhaled oxygen (t%O2) and carbon dioxide (t%CO2), lung ventilation (VE), oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide output (VCO2), respiratory quotient (RQ) as well as the respiratory equivalent of oxygen and carbon dioxide (VE VO2 -1 and VE VO2 ), indices of acid-base balance. Aerobic capacity of the subjects studied, expressed as the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), amounted to 2.42 l . min or 42.6 ml . kg . min. At maximum work intensity the load was 158.4 W (2.78 W . kg) and the maximum heart rate 184 beats . min. The load at the VT threshold was 96.6 W (1.71 W . kg), which required 1,71 l . min (30.1 ml . kg . min ) of oxygen uptake. The threshold heart rate was 157 beats . min. The percentage value of oxygen uptake at VT was to 69.5% of VO2max and 89.6% of maximum heart rate.