JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

There are limited aerobic exercise options for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and managing cardiometabolic health that are age-appropriate and suitable for children with mobility disabilities. Children with disabilities require exercise programs that have adapted movements for various functional needs, brief training durations to fit into busy scheduling, and remote training methods at home that bypass logistical transportation barriers.

Objective:

Test the potential effects and safety of a sprint-intensity arm-exercise interval training program, combined with music and telehealth, on cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health in a child with cerebral palsy.

Methods:

Pre to post trial design with a 12-week exercise intervention for a single child with cerebral palsy (age 17 years). The intervention was performed by the participant at the home. The participant exercised three times per week while following along with YouTube exercise videos. Videos included four second maximal sprint bouts followed by periods of rest, which were repeated 30 times during a single exercise session (total of ~2 minutes of maximal exercise). Exercise sessions were supervised by research staff using videoconference. Cardiorespiratory fitness was indicated by peak oxygen consumption pVO2 that was measured by a portable metabolic cart during a graded exercise test. Cardiometabolic health outcomes included body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan and a cardiometabolic blood-profile by a dried blood spot test. Outcomes were descriptively analyzed.

Results:

The participant achieved a 33.6% increase in pVO2 (14.6 to 19.5 mL/kg -1 /min -1 ), 37.8% improvement in blood triglycerides (82 to 51 mg/dl), and 15.4% improvement in total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein ratio (6.5 to 5.5). Additionally, he had a 5.9% reduction in body weight (171 to 161 lbs), and 9.6% reduction in total body fat (61.35 to 55.48 lbs) from the arms, legs, and trunk. The participant experienced no adverse event or problems during the intervention. After completing the program, the participant was capable of eliciting a maximal intensity of exercise using armbands, as demonstrated through pVO2.

Conclusions:

Sprint-intensity interval training, using the arms, may be safe and potentially effective for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health among children with physical disabilities. Further research is warranted to confirm the findings of this case report.