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J Appl Physiol 96: 477-482, 2004. First published September 23, 2003; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00577.2003
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Increasing blood flow before exercise in spinal cord-injured individuals does not alter muscle fatigue

Jennifer L. Olive,1 Jill M. Slade,2 C. Scott Bickel,2 Gary A. Dudley,2,3 and Kevin K. McCully2

1Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195; 2Department of Exercise Science, University of Georgia, Athens 30602; and 3Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Submitted 4 June 2003 ; accepted in final form 15 September 2003

Previous studies have shown increased fatigue in paralyzed muscle of spinal cord-injured (SCI) patients (Castro M, Apple D Jr, Hillegass E, and Dudley GA. Eur J Appl Physiol 80: 373-378, 1999; Gerrits H, Hopman MTE, Sargeant A, and de Haan A. Clin Physiol 21: 105-113, 2001). Our purpose was to determine whether the increased muscle fatigue could be due to a delayed rise in blood flow at the onset of exercise in SCI individuals. Isometric electrical stimulation was used to induce fatigue in the quadriceps femoris muscle of seven male, chronic (>1 yr postinjury), complete (American Spinal Injury Association, category A) SCI subjects. Cuff occlusion was used to elevate blood flow before electrical stimulation, and the magnitude of fatigue was compared with a control condition of electrical stimulation without prior cuff occlusion. Blood flow was measured in the femoral artery by Doppler ultrasound. Prior cuff occlusion increased blood flow in the first 30 s of stimulation compared with the No-Cuff condition (1,350 vs. 680 ml/min, respectively; P < 0.001), although blood flow at the end of stimulation was the same between conditions (1,260 ± 140 vs. 1,160 ± 370 ml/min, Cuff and No-Cuff condition, respectively; P = 0.511). Muscle fatigue was not significantly different between prior cuff occlusion and the control condition (32 ± 13 vs. 35 ± 10%; P = 0.670). In conclusion, increased muscle fatigue in SCI individuals is not associated with the prolonged time for blood flow to increase at the onset of exercise.

spinal cord injury; Doppler ultrasound; electrical stimulation


Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. L. Olive, University of Washington Medical Center, Box 357115, Seattle, WA 98195 (E-mail: jolive{at}u.washington.edu).






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