One-legged bicycling as an assessment tool for patients with stroke.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether one-legged bicycling correlates with muscle strength and thereby could work as an outcome measure for persons with stroke.

METHODS

The study comprised 29 men (age 35-65) with a first occurrence of stroke 6-35 months earlier. Each leg was evaluated separately. A ramp protocol was used (10 W/min), with continuous recording of the ventilatory uptake (Vo(2)) and heart rate. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to assess strength and endurance. Enzyme assays were performed on muscle biopsy samples.

RESULTS

The peak isometric strength and isokinetic strength of the paretic leg correlated with the max. W on the bicycle. The oxidative enzyme citrate synthase correlated with the workload for both legs on the bicycle and lactate dehydrogenase correlated with peak isometric strength in both legs.

CONCLUSIONS

The one-legged bicycle exercise test can be used to assess endurance in persons with a previous stroke as it correlates with dynamometer testing and muscle biopsies.