Exercise Intensity During Power Wheelchair Soccer

Objective: To determine exercise intensity during power wheelchair soccer among a sample of persons with mobility impairments. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive. Setting: On-site training facilities of multiple power wheelchair soccer teams. Participants: Participants with severe mobility impairments (N=30) (mean +/- SD, age: 29.40 +/- 15.51y, body mass index: 24.11 +/- 6.47kg/m(2), power soccer experience: 7.91 +/- 3.93y, disability sport experience: 12.44 +/- 9.73y) were recruited from multiple power wheelchair soccer teams. Interventions: Portable metabolic carts were used to collect oxygen consumption (Vo(2)) data during resting and game play conditions. Main Outcome Measures: Average Vo(2) (expressed in metabolic equivalent tasks [METs]) during resting and game play conditions and rating of perceived exertion for game play. Results: Vo(2) increased from 1.35 +/- 0.47 METs at rest to 1.81 +/- 0.65 METs during game play. This 34% increase in exercise intensity was significant (P<.01) and supported by a mean perceived exertion score of approximately 13 (somewhat hard). Conclusions: Although not able to sustain an intensity associated with reduced secondary disease risk (ie, 3 METs), the documented light intensity exercise in the current study surpassed an intensity threshold associated with improved functional capacity and performance of daily living activities (ie, 1.5 METs). (C) 2016 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine