Arm-Cranking Exercise Training Reduces Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 in People With Spinal Cord Injury.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of arm-cranking exercise training on plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) as a risk factor of deep vein thrombosis, along with general physical parameters such as muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and hemodynamics, in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and control subjects.

DESIGN

Longitudinal study.

SETTING

Community-based supervised intervention.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants (N=17) comprised individuals with SCI (n=9) who volunteered for this study, and able-bodied individuals (n=8) matched for age, height, and body mass index who were assessed at baseline only.

INTERVENTION

The arm-cranking exercise program was performed for 10 weeks with 4 sessions per week. Sessions consisted of 2 sets of warmup (5min) and arm crank exercises (25min) with a 10-minute recovery at an intensity of 50% to 70% of heart rate reserve.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Body mass (BM), waist circumference (WC), aerobic capacity (peak oxygen consumption [Vopeak]), PAI-1, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and lipids.

RESULTS

PAI-1, BM, WC, systolic blood pressure, and triglycerides (TG) decreased, and Vopeak increased after training (P<.05, respectively). Spearman rank-order analysis revealed that changes in PAI-1 were related to changes in Vopeak, BM, WC, TG, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that WC was the most sensitive factor for predicting changes in PAI-1 (P=.038).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that 10 weeks of arm-cranking exercise training for people with SCI may help to reduce the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. In addition, changes in abdominal fat may be related to changes in PAI-1 in the SCI population.