ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2021 April;61(4):505-11

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.20.11286-6

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Effects of circuit resistance training on muscle power, functional agility, and bones’ mineral content in people with spinal injury

Joel ALVES RODRIGUES ¹ ✉, Eveline TORRES PEREIRA ¹, Jaqueline SALGADO LOPES ¹, Marcus V. DA FONSECA SILVA ¹, Nathalia M. RESENDE ², Sandro FERNANDES DA SILVA ², Felipe J. AIDAR ³, Claudia E. PATROCÍNIO DE OLIVEIRA ¹, Osvaldo COSTA MOREIRA ⁴

¹ Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil; ² Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil; ³ Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil; ⁴ Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, Florestal, Brazil

BACKGROUND: Physical exercise is one of the main agents when it comes to rehabilitation and changes in health aspects of people with SCI. This study aimed to establish the effects of circuit resistance training (CRT) on people with spinal cord injury (SCI), specifically on their body composition, muscle strength, anaerobic power, and functional capacity.
METHODS: Sample consisted of five people with SCI: both sexes, ages between 25 and 62 years, and 12 weeks of CRT, twice a week. Before and after the 12 weeks of intervention, this research adopted clear-cut tests (medicine ball pitch, Wingate, zigzag, and dual-energy X-ray densitometry) to analyze the desired variables (muscle strength, anaerobic power, functional capacity, and body composition).
RESULTS: Showed muscle strength improvement (P=0.028), agility increase (P=0.028), and equal levels of lean mass, bone mineral content, and bone loss index throughout life (T-score).
CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, one can consider that CRT is an alternative to develop the upper limbs muscle power and functional agility. Together, all these variables may imply an overall improvement of the functional capacity in people with SCI. Additionally, these 12 weeks of CRT were responsible for helping the maintenance of lean mass, bone mineral content and T-score in this study’s sample.

KEY WORDS: Health; Exercise; Spinal cord; Resistance training; Quality of life