The Relationship Between Physical Activity Level and Exercise Capacity and Respiratory Parameters in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) detrimentally impacts individuals’ exercise capacity and respiratory parameters depending on sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunctions. Regular physical activity (PA) positively impacts cardiovascular health and pulmonary function in these individuals. This study determined the relationship between PA and exercise capacity and respiratory parameters in individuals with SCI. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 40 individuals with paraplegia. Assessments included the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals With Physical Disabilities (PASIPD), 6-min manual wheelchair propulsion test (MWPT_6min), MWPT slalom test (MWPT_slalom), 20-m MWPT propulsion test (MWPT_20m), pulmonary function test (FVC, FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC, and peak expiratory flow [PEF]), maximum inspiratory pressure (P_Imax), and maximum expiratory pressure (P_Emax). Results: Subjects’ mean age and body mass index were 46 ± 13 y and 26.8 ± 5.2 kg/m², respectively. PASIPD total score was significantly associated with MWPT_6min (r = 0.657, P < .001), MWPT_slalom (r = 0.403, P = .17) and MWPT_20m (r = 0.477, P = .056), FEV₁ (r = 0.552, P < .001), FEV₁/FVC (r = 0.532, P = .02), PEF (r = 0.683, P = .004), P_Imax (r = 0.484, P = .01), and P_Emax (r = 0.481, P = .16). However, PASIPD total score was not significantly associated with FVC (r = 0.168, P = .41). Conclusions: PA level influenced exercise capacity and pulmonary function in individuals with SCI and may play an important role in delimiting physical fitness.