Muscle strength and aerobic power--a study of lower-limb disabled males.

The relationship between arm strength and aerobic power (VO2 peak) was examined in 35 lower-limb disabled males. Equations related predicted VO2 peak to simple measurements of isokinetic and/or static strength. Covariance analysis (ANCOVA) showed that after allowance for level of habitual activity and lesion level there was a highly significant relationship between VO2 peak and simple strength measurements (greater for isokinetic than for static data). The findings suggest that in the wheelchair-bound the extent to which arm strength is developed has more impact upon cardiovascular performance than does the anatomical level of the lesion.