Effects of Concurrent Respiratory Resistance Training on Health-related Quality of Life in Wheelchair Rugby Athletes: A Pilot Study

Date

2012-01

Authors

Litchke, Lyn G.
Lloyd, Lisa K.
Schmidt, Eric
Russian, Christopher J.
Reardon, Robert

Journal Title

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Volume Title

Publisher

Thomas Land Publishers

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the effects of 9 weeks of training with a concurrent flow resistance (CFR) device versus a concurrent pressure threshold resistance (CPTR) device on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in wheelchair rugby (WR) athletes. Method: Twenty-four male WR athletes (22 with tetraplegia, 1 with a spastic cerebral palsy, and 1 with congenital upper and lower limb deformities) were matched by lesion level, completeness of injury, and rugby classification prior to being randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) CPTR (n=8), (2) CFR (n=8), or (3) controls (CON, n=8). Pre/post testing included assessment of HRQoL as measured by the Short-Form Health Survey Version 2.0 (SF-36v2). Manufacturer protocol guidelines for the CFR and CPTR groups were followed for breathing exercises. Results: Sixteen participants completed the study (CPTR=4, CFR=5, CON=7). The Mann- Whitney U rank order revealed significantly greater reductions in bodily pain (P = .038) and improvements in vitality (P = .028) for CFR versus CON. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that training with a CFR device improves some aspects of HRQoL (eg, vitality and bodily pain) in WR athletes. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to examine the impact of these devices on improving HRQoL for wheelchair athletes.

Description

Keywords

respiratory resistance training, SF-36, spinal cord injury, quality of life, Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology

Citation

Litchke, L. G., Lloyd, L. K., Schmidt, E. A., Russian, C. J., & Reardon, R. F. (2012). Effects of concurrent respiratory resistance training on health-related quality of life in wheelchair rugby athletes: A pilot study. Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 18(3), pp. 264–272.

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© 2012 Thomas Land Publishers, Inc.

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