Physical fitness,everyday physical activity,and fatigue in ambulatory adults with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy

This study assessed physical fitness and its relationships with everyday physical activity (PA) and fatigue in cerebral palsy (CP). Participants were 42 adults with ambulatory bilateral spastic CP (mean age 36.4 ± 5.8 years; 69% males; 81% with good gross motor functioning). Progressive maximal aerobic cycle tests determined VO_2peak (L/min). Objective levels of everyday PA were measured with accelerometry and self‐reported levels of everyday PA with the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities. Fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale. The average aerobic capacity of adults with CP was 77% of Dutch reference values. Participants were physically active during 124 min/day (85% of Dutch reference values), and half experienced fatigue. In women, lower physical fitness was related to lower self‐reported levels of PA (R_p=0.61, P=0.03), and in men to higher levels of fatigue (R_p=?0.37, P=0.05). Other relationships were not significant. Results suggest that ambulatory adults with CP have low levels of physical fitness, are less physically active than able‐bodied age mates and often experience fatigue. We found little evidence for relationships between the level of physical fitness and everyday PA or fatigue.     

Effect of muscle fatigue and physical activity level in motor control of the gait of young adults

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of muscle fatigue in active and inactive young adults on the kinematic and kinetic parameters of normal gait and obstacle crossing. Twenty male subjects were divided into active (10) and inactive (10), based on self-reported physical activity. Participants performed three trials of two tasks (normal gait and obstacle crossing) before and after a fatigue protocol, consisting of repeated sit-to-stand transfers until the instructed pace could no longer be maintained. MANOVAs were used to compare dependent variables with the following factors: physical activity level, fatigue and task. The endurance time in the fatigue protocol was lower for the inactive group. Changes of gait parameters with fatigue, among which increased step width and increased stride speed were the most consistent, were independent of task and physical activity level. These findings indicate that the kinematic and kinetic parameters of gait are affected by muscle fatigue irrespective of the physical activity level of the subjects and type of gait. Inactive individuals used a slightly different strategy than active individuals when crossing an obstacle, independently of muscle fatigue.