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Cardiovascular Responses to Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury

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The Physiology of Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury

Part of the book series: Physiology in Health and Disease ((PIHD))

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has a significant impact on the structure and function of the cardiovascular system, typically leading to smaller sized vessels below the lesion and impairment of endothelial function throughout the body. These cardiovascular changes are primarily driven by a reduction in physical activity, supported by the ability to (at least partly) reverse these cardiovascular adaptations after (electrical stimulation-mediated) exercise training. This chapter provides an overview of the adaptations that occur in the cardiovascular system in SCI individuals, involving the heart, conduit, resistance and (skin and muscle) microvessels. These changes to the cardiovascular system have significant impact on the cardiovascular responses to exercise. For example, the inability of paralyzed muscles to pump back blood, pooling of blood in the veins and impaired blood redistribution contribute to a reduced return of blood to the heart. The ability of the heart to pump out large quantities of blood is vital when performing exercise. Therefore, an impaired return of blood will significantly affect the ability of SCI individuals to perform exercise. The ability to perform exercise is further compromised in SCI individuals who have disturbed cardiac innervation, which impairs the ability to increase heart rate during exercise. This chapter summarized the work related to the cardiovascular responses to exercise in subjects with a SCI, and how this affects the ability to perform exercise.

This publication was supported by funds received from the Stoke Mandeville-Masson Research Awards.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, L3 3AF, Liverpool, England

    Thomas J. Barton, David A. Low & Dick H. J. Thijssen

  2. Department of Physiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Dick H. J. Thijssen

Authors
  1. Thomas J. Barton
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  2. David A. Low
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  3. Dick H. J. Thijssen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dick H. J. Thijssen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    J. Andrew Taylor

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Barton, T.J., Low, D.A., Thijssen, D.H.J. (2016). Cardiovascular Responses to Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury. In: Taylor, J. (eds) The Physiology of Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury. Physiology in Health and Disease. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6664-6_6

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