The Energy Cost of Steady State Physical Activity in Acute Stroke

Abstract

Objective: Cardiorespiratory fitness levels are very low after stroke, indicating that the majority of stroke survivors are unable to independently perform daily activities. Physical fitness training improves exercise capacity poststroke; however, the optimal timing and intensity of training is unclear. Understanding the energy cost of steady-state activity is necessary to guide training prescription early poststroke. We aimed to determine if acute stroke survivors can reach steady state (oxygen-uptake variability ≤2.0 mL O2/kg/min) during physical activity and if the energy cost of steady state activity differs from healthy controls. Material and Methods: We recruited 23 stroke survivors le..