Développement d'un protocole d’évaluation et d’un programme d’entraînement de la capacité cardiorespiratoire chez des usagers d’un fauteuil roulant manuel

Manual wheelchair (MWC) users usually have a strongly reduced cardiorespiratory capacity due to both the physical disabilities which brought the need for a wheelchair and to their often sedentary lifestyle. However, very few tools are available for the evaluation and the training of the cardiorespiratory fitness aimed specifically at MWC users. The main goals of this thesis were to 1) propose and evaluate a MWC stress test protocol on a motorized treadmill and 2) to study the feasibility, the safety and the impacts of a community-based high-intensity interval MWC cardiorespiratory training. This thesis is composed of three distinct projects. Project #1 – Cardiorespiratory requirements during MWC propulsion on a motorized treadmill: 17 MWC users completed 12 randomized trials composed of a combination of a slope (0°, 2.7°, 3.6° and 4.8°) and a speed (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 m/s) on a motorized treadmill. The cardiorespiratory responses have been measured and the effects of changes of slope and speed on them have been calculated. A new stress test protocol was then proposed according to the effects of the slope and the speed on oxygen consumption (VO2). Project #2 – Psychometric properties of the stress test: A total of 28 MWC users took part to this project. The test-retest reliability and the minimal detectable change (MDC) were quantified by comparing the maximal cardiorespiratory responses measured during two stress tests completed on two separate occasions. The verification of the concurrent validity was done by comparing the maximal cardiorespiratory responses measured during the treadmill stress tests with those measured during a stress test on an arm crank ergometer. Project #3: Training program: 11 MWC users were randomly assigned to either a group doing a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) (N=6) or a group doing a continuous, moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory training (N=5). These programs lasted 40 minutes/session, 3 days/weeks for a duration of 6 weeks and were executed in a MWC in a community setting under the indirect supervision of a physiotherapist. The feasibility, safety and effectiveness regarding an increase in cardiorespiratory capacity and upper extremity strength were measured and compared between programs. The results of project #1 did show higher cardiorespiratory responses with an increase in the treadmill slope or speed for almost all conditions. The prediction equation for the VO2 allowed for a stress test protocol to be developed and which can be used as a reliable and valid test of the cardiorespiratory capacity on a motorized treadmill for MWC users. Furthermore, the HIIT program was deemed safe while executed in a community setting, while precautions should be taken when individuals have upper extremity pain. Also, well-maintained roads and less crowded areas are popular and safe MWC training places. Finally, the effectiveness of the 6 weeks HIIT training program has not been confirmed, but the subjective improvements reported by the patients support the relevance of the program.

Keyphrases: Cardiorespiratory fitness, Assessment, Training, Manual wheelchair, Spinal cord injury