Anaerobic exercise testing in rehabilitation: A systematic review of available tests and protocols.

OBJECTIVE: Anaerobic capacity assessment in rehabilitation has received increasing scientific attention in recent years. However, anaerobic capacity is not tested consistently in clinical rehabilitation practice. This study reviews tests and protocols for anaerobic capacity in adults with various disabilities (spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, cerebral vascular accident, lower-limb amputation(s)) and (able-bodied) wheelchair users.

DATA SOURCES: PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science.

STUDY SELECTION: Papers were screened by 2 independent assessors, and were included when anaerobic exercise tests were performed on the above-selected subject groups.

DATA EXTRACTION: Included articles were checked for methodological quality.

DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 57 papers was included. Upper-body testing [56 protocols] was conducted with arm crank [16] and wheelchair tests [40]. With a few [2] exceptions, modified Wingate (Wingate) protocols and wheelchair sprint tests dominated upper-body anaerobic testing. In lower-body anaerobic work [11], bicycle [3] and recumbent [1], and overground tests [7] were used, in which Wingate, sprint or jump protocols were employed.

CONCLUSION: When equipment is available a Wingate protocol is advised for assessment of anaerobic capacity in rehabilitation. When equipment is not avail-able a 20-45 s sprint test is a good alternative. Future research should focus on standardized tests and protocols specific to different disability groups.