Left Ventricular Performance Following Swim-Training in Egyptian Wheelchair Swimmers

Introduction: Athletes with special needs represent a growing population of sports participants. The Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals who have physically and intellectual disabilities to become physically fit through sports training and competition. Subjects with parapleglegia and amputation don't use their legs in their daily lives which may affect myocardial efficiency. According to the law of use, so, not using the legs is considered to be amongst the factors affect the cardiac deficiency in general.Purpose: The aim of these study is determined and compared myocardial responses to intensive training (IST), 24 weeks, 6 times per week, 120 min per unit in male wheelchair swimmers (amputee vs. paraplegic).Subjects and Methods: To study these effects, seven below-knee amputee swimmers (AM) group aged (18.3 ± 0.88 yr), Ht (168.1 ± 1.67 cm), Wt (68.2 ± 3.7 kg). Compared with seven paraplegic swimmers (PR) group aged (18.6 ± 0.92 yr), Ht (167 ± 2.16 cm), Wt (68 ± 4.58 kg). All subjects group underwent two – dimension and M-mode Echocardiography at rest, and arm crank ergometry exercise test to determine max vo2 before and after (IST).

Author(s): Magdy Abouzeid

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