Citation

Mason B, van der Woude L, Tolfrey K, Lenton J, Goosey-Tolfrey V. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2012; 44(1): 126-134.

Affiliation

1School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, The Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK. 2Center for Human Movement Sciences, Center for Rehabilitation, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1249/MSS.0b013e31822a2df0

PMID

21701409

Abstract

PURPOSE:: To investigate the effects of fixed gear ratio wheel sizes on the physiological and biomechanical responses to sub-maximal wheelchair propulsion. METHODS:: Highly trained wheelchair basketball players (N = 13) propelled an adjustable sports wheelchair in three different wheel sizes (24", 25", 26") on a motor driven treadmill. Each wheel was equipped with force sensing hand-rims (SMART) which collected kinetic and temporal data. Oxygen uptake (V˙O2) and heart rate (HR) responses were measured, with high speed video footage collected to determine 3D upper body joint kinematics. RESULTS:: Mean power output and work per cycle decreased progressively with increasing wheel size (P < 0.0005). Increasing wheel size also reduced the physiological demand with reductions in V˙O2 for 25" (0.90 ± 0.20 L·min, P = 0.01) and 26" wheels (0.87 ± 0.16 L·min, P = 0.001) compared with 24" wheels (0.98 ± 0.20 L·min). Additionally, reductions in HR were observed for 26" wheels (99 ± 6 beats·min) compared with 25" (103 ± 8 beats·min, P = 0.018) and 24" wheels (105 ± 9 beats·min, P = 0.004). Mean resultant forces also decreased progressively with increasing wheel size (P < 0.0005). However, no changes in temporal or upper body joint kinematics existed between wheel sizes. CONCLUSIONS:: A greater power requirement owing to a greater rolling resistance in 24" wheels increased the physiological demand and magnitude of force application during sub-maximal wheelchair propulsion.

Language: en