Aerobic Responses to FES-Assisted and Volitional Cycling in Children with Cerebral Palsy

This study explores how cycling, with and without electrical muscle stimulation (FES), affects the fitness of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Thirty-nine children were divided into three groups: one used FES-assisted cycling, another cycled without FES, and a control group had no intervention. The study measured their cycling ability, peak oxygen use, and heart rate. The FES group achieved higher cycling speeds than the others, and these gains persisted after the training stopped. However, there were no significant differences in improvements in peak oxygen use or heart rate among the groups. The study suggests that FES-assisted cycling helps children with CP cycle faster, and they maintain this even after training. However, to improve their peak oxygen use and heart rate, they might need to cycle at higher intensities.

• 1
  The FES group showed significantly higher cycling cadences than the VOL and CON groups at POST and WO.
• 2
  There were no differences in improvements in the peak VO2 and peak net HR between groups.
• 3
  FES assistance helped retain the higher gains in cadence, even after the cessation of the training.