Reliability of arm Wingate Anaerobic Testing in persons with complete paraplegia

BACKGROUND: Accurate, reliable assessment of upper extremity muscular power in persons with paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury (SCI) would provide an objective indication of their ability to generate the forces necessary for the performance of daily activities. Wingate Anaerobic Testing (WAnT) consists of a 30-second sprint test on a cycle ergometer and has been used widely in both athletic and research settings. PURPOSE: To examine test-retest reliability of arm WAnT performance in persons with complete SCI and paraplegia. METHODS: Forty-three participants with thoracic-level paraplegia (T2 through T12) performed 2 trials of arm WAnT with 2 to 7 days between each trial. Testing was performed using a Monarch 834E ergometer with participants seated in their wheelchairs. Participants were directed to crank at maximal pace for 30 seconds against a resistance load equivalent to 3.5% of their body mass. The SMI OptoSensor 2000 system was used to determine values of peak power (P(peak)), mean power (P(mean)), minimum power, and rate of fatigue, which were compared between trials using 1-way analysis of variance for repeated measures. Coefficients of determination (r2) were calculated between trials for P(peak) and P(mean). RESULTS: No significant difference was found between trials for any of the power output variables. Regression analysis indicated that P(peak) and P(mean) were closely associated between the 2 trials (r2 = 0.92 and 0.94, respectively). CONCLUSION: Arm WAnT is a reliable measurement tool for the assessment of upper extremity muscular power in persons with complete paraplegia.