Biomedical subjects

O Bar-Or

Publications and source records attributed to O Bar-Or.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Glucose ingestion and substrate utilization during exercise in boys with IDDM.

This study was intended to compare exogenous [(13)C]glucose (Glu(exo)) oxidation in boys with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and healthy boys of similar age, weight, and maximal O(2) uptake. In a control trial with water intake (CT) and in a (13)C-enriched glucose trial (GT), subjects cycled for 60 min (58.8 +/- 0.9% maximal O(2) uptake) while the utilization of total glucose, total fat, and Glu(exo) was assessed. In CT, total glucose was 84.7 +/- 9.2 vs. 91.3 +/- 6.6 g/60 min (not significantly different) and total fat was 13.3 +/- 2.2 vs. 11.1 +/- 1.7 g/60 min (not significantly different) in IDDM vs. healthy boys, respectively. In GT, Glu(exo) was 10.4 +/- 1.7 vs. 14.8 +/- 1.1 g/60 min, corresponding to 9.0 +/- 1.0 vs. 12.4 +/- 0.5% of the total energy supply in IDDM and healthy boys, respectively (P < 0.05). Endogenous glucose was spared in both groups by 12.6 +/- 3.5% (P < 0.05). Blood glucose and plasma insulin concentrations were two- to threefold higher in IDDM vs. healthy boys in both trials. In conclusion, Glu(exo) is impaired in exercising boys with IDDM, even when plasma insulin levels are elevated.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Preventing dehydration in children with cystic fibrosis who exercise in the heat.

PURPOSE: In healthy children who exercise in the heat, the addition of flavor, carbohydrate, and 18 mmol x L(-1) NaCl to water induced a major increase in voluntary drink intake compared with the intake of unflavored water. This increase was sufficient to prevent voluntary dehydration. We hypothesized that, to achieve a similar effect in children with cystic fibrosis (CF), whose NaCl losses in sweat are markedly excessive, the drink should include an NaCl concentration higher than 18 mmol x L(-1). METHODS: Eleven subjects with CF (6 girls, 5 boys, ages 10.9-19.5 yr) attended three 3-h sessions of intermittent exercise of moderate intensity (four 20-min bouts), at 35 degrees C, 50% relative humidity. Either water (W), flavored water (FW), or a 30 mmol x L(-1) NaCl plus 6% carbohydrate solution (Na30) was offered ad libitum, in a counterbalanced sequence. Six subjects performed an additional session in which they drank a 50 mmol x L(-1) NaCl-6% CHO solution (Na50). RESULTS: There was no significant drink effect on body fluid balance, core temperature, heart rate, or serum electrolytes with W, FW, or Na30. Serum osmolality decreased throughout the sessions from 290.6 +/- 1.1 (mean +/- SEM) to 281.3 +/- 1.2 mmol x kg(-1) (P < 0.0005), serum sodium from 143.1 +/- 0.5 to 141.1 +/- 0.7 mmol x L(-1) (P = 0.01) and serum chloride from 109.1 +/- 0.5 to 107.5 +/- 0.5 mmol X L(-1) (P < 0.001). In contrast, the 50 mmol x L(-1) NaCl drink induced a near significant (P = 0.08) higher fluid intake, and it significantly ameliorated the rate of progressive dehydration. CONCLUSIONS: The marked loss of NaCl in the sweat of CF patients may induce an hypo-osmolar state in the serum, even when the drink contains 30 mmol x L(-1) NaCl. This may diminish the thirst drive triggered by hypothalamic osmoreceptors and may lead to voluntary dehydration. A flavored drink with an even higher salt content (50 mmol X L(-1)), however, enhances drinking and attenuates the voluntary dehydration.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Role of mechanical power estimates in the O2 cost of walking in children with cerebral palsy.

UNLABELLED: It has been established in able-bodied children that traditional biomechanical descriptors of gait such as stride length or stride frequency do not fully account for the differences seen in the energy cost of locomotion noted with age. Hence, measures of total body mechanical power output have been adopted to explain these differences. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to estimate the ability of this mechanical power calculation to explain the variability in the metabolic energy cost of treadmill walking in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: Thirteen subjects volunteered for the study. One group consisted of eight (6 male, 2 female) children with CP (age 12.2 +/- 2.7 yr). The second group consisted of five (4 male, 1 female) able-bodied controls (age 13.4 +/- 2.8 yr). The treadmill walking protocol consisted of one 4-min stage at 0% grade, 3 km x h(-1). Infrared markers were placed on 12 anatomical landmarks and data were collected using the OPTOTRAK motion analysis system over a 5-s time period during the last 30 s of the 4-min stage. On-line oxygen consumption VO2 measurements were obtained throughout using the Beckman Horizon Metabolic Cart. RESULTS: Relative VO2 (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) was significantly (P < 0.05) different between the two groups (CP: 16.6 +/- 6.5 vs control: 10.2 +/- 1.2). Simple linear regression analysis demonstrated that mechanical power measurements, incorporating transfers of energy between and within adjacent body segments, accounted for 87.2% of the total variability noted in VO2 for the children with CP, compared with only 2.4% in the able-bodied subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that mechanical power differences explain the majority of the variability noted in VO2 in children with CP at a submaximal walking speed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Vagal activity and airway response to ipratropium bromide before and after exercise in ambient and cold conditions in healthy cross-country runners.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the variability in the effect of ipratropium bromide on the bronchial response to exercise among endurance athletes depends on their vagal activity. The hypothesis was that this would be the case. DESIGN: Participants served as their own controls in a double-blind, repeated-measures investigation. SETTING: Climatic chamber in an exercise laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Six well-trained healthy adult cross-country runners (three women and three men). INTERVENTIONS: Four exercise provocation tests at ambient temperature of 22 or -5 degrees C after inhalation of ipratropium bromide or placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Vagal activity was assessed in each visit by a 4-second cycling test; airway response to exercise was measured by periodic pulmonary function testing. RESULTS: With ipratropium bromide, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) increased by 5.3+/-1.4% at 22 degrees C and by 7.5+/-1.5% at -5 degrees C. The beneficial response of the large airways to ipratropium bromide versus placebo was positively related to vagal activity for FEV1 at -5 degrees C, for peak expiratory flow (PEF) at -5 degrees C, and for PEF at 22 degrees C. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the beneficial large-airways response to ipratropium bromide may be related to vagal activity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Information about vagal activity may help to determine whether an athlete is a suitable candidate for treatment with ipratropium bromide. This may offer more therapeutic possibilities, especially for those individuals who have a high vagal activity, such as endurance athletes.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Glucose ingestion matched with total carbohydrate utilization attenuates hypoglycemia during exercise in adolescents with IDDM.

There are currently no guidelines regarding the carbohydrate (CHO) dosage required to prevent exercise-induced hypoglycemia in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). To prevent hypoglycemia by matching glucose ingestion with total-CHO utilization, 20 adolescents with IDDM attended 2 trials: control (CT; drinking water) and glucose (GT; drinking 6-8% glucose). Participants performed 60 min of moderate-intensity cycling 100 min after insulin injection and breakfast. CT's total-CHO utilization during exercise was determined using indirect calorimetry. In GT, participants ingested glucose in the amount equal to total CHO utilization in the CT. A total of 9 participants had BG < 4.0 mmol/L in CT compared to 3 in GT (p < .05). In conclusion, glucose ingestion equal to total-CHO utilization attenuates the drop in blood glucose and reduces the likelihood of hypoglycemia during exercise in adolescents with IDDM.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Drink composition, voluntary drinking, and fluid balance in exercising, trained, heat-acclimatized boys.

This study examined the effects of beverage composition on the voluntary drinking pattern, body fluid balance, and thermoregulation of heat-acclimatized trained boys exercising intermittently in outdoor conditions (wet bulb globe temperature 30.4 +/- 1.0 degreesC). Twelve boys (age 13.4 +/- 0.4 yr) performed two 3-h sessions, each consisting of four 20-min cycling bouts at 60% maximal aerobic power alternating with 25-min rest. One of two beverages was assigned: unflavored water (W) or flavored water plus 6% carbohydrate and 18 mmol/l Na (CNa). Drinking was ad libitum. Total intake was higher (P < 0.05) during CNa (1,943 +/- 190 g) compared with W (1,470 +/- 143 g). Euhydration was maintained with CNa (+0.18% body wt), but a mild dehydration resulted with W (-0.94% body wt; P < 0.05). Sweat loss, much higher than previously published for children of similar age, was similar between conditions (CNa = 1,644.7 +/- 117.5; W = 1,750.2 +/- 152.7 g). The increase in rectal temperature (CNa = 0.86 +/- 0.3; W = 0.76 +/- 0.1 degreesC), heart rate, and all perceptual variables did not differ between conditions. In conclusion, a flavored carbohydrate-electrolyte drink prevents voluntary dehydration in trained heat-acclimatized boys exercising in a tropical climate despite their large sweat losses. Because hydration changes were minor, the thermoregulatory strain observed was similar between conditions.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1999

Impact of a single exercise bout on energy expenditure and spontaneous physical activity of obese boys.

The main objective of the present study was to determine whether a structured, laboratory-based exercise task would modify the energy expenditure (EE) and the pattern of spontaneous physical activity (PA) of obese boys on the day of an exercise laboratory visit and on the following day. Fourteen 10- to 15-y-old moderately obese (36.6+/-3.3% fat) boys volunteered. They each had three laboratory visits, I wk apart. In one visit, they performed a strenuous 50-min cycling task; in another, a 30-min medium-intensity cycling task; and in another (which served as placebo), they did not exercise. PA was monitored the day before (d 1), during (d 2), and after (d 3) each laboratory visit by use of a heart rate monitor and a 12-h recall interview. EE was calculated from minute-by-minute heart rate and each child's predetermined relationship between oxygen uptake and heart rate. EE and PA were analyzed from 1300 to 1900 h each day using 15-min intervals. EE tended to decrease (p < 0.087) in the afternoon of all d 2 compared with d 1, and it increased on d 3 after the medium-intensity exercise (p < 0.0005). EE during d 2 and 3 combined, compared with d 1, decreased after the high-intensity exercise (534.2 versus 564.3 kJ/h, p < 0.05). It increased after the medium-intensity exercise (561.8 versus 526.7 kJ/h, p = 0.052) and was not affected after the placebo visit (589.4 versus 574.3 kJ/h). Time spent outdoors was consistently reduced on the day of laboratory visit compared with the day before and after the visit, regardless of the contents of intervention. In conclusion, a single laboratory visit is followed by a reduction in EE and PA on the day of intervention. However, its effect on EE the following day may be dose dependent: medium-intensity exercise induces an increase in EE, but high-intensity exercise causes a decrease in EE. One implication is that intervention by physical training should employ medium-intensity exercise to enhance the EE of obese boys.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Influence of climate on heart rate in children: comparison between intermittent and continuous exercise.

Heart rate (HR) monitoring is commonly used to assess 24-h energy expenditure (EE) in children but it has been found to overestimate the true values. One reason for this may be the effect of climatic heat stress on HR. An equation has been previously developed to adjust HR measured during continuous exercise for the influence of climate. Since play in children is rarely of a continuous pattern, one objective of this study was to compare the effects of climatic heat stress on the HR response to intermittent and to continuous exercise. A second objective was to determine whether the previously developed equation is suitable for intermittent exercise. A group of 12 boys and 8 girls (aged 8-11 years) cycled in a climatic chamber. The exercise consisted of continuous cycling for 5 min at 35%, 55%, and 75% of peak oxygen up take (random order) followed by alternating cycling at the same resistance and cadence (30 s) and rest (30 s) for 3 additional min. The oxygen uptake (VO2) and HR were determined for 2 min at the end of continuous cycling and for 2 min during intermittent cycling. Climatic conditions (randomly assigned) were dry bulb temperature T(db) 22 degrees C, 50% relative humidity (rh); T(db) 28 degrees C, 55% rh; T(db) 32 degrees C, 52% rh; or T(db) 35 degrees C, 58% rh. The difference between HR measured at a given T(db) (HR(meas)) and HR at 22 degrees C and at the same VO2 was then calculated (deltaHR). The deltaHR increased linearly with increasing temperature but was not related to VO2 or to exercise type. However, a small but significant difference was found if the published equation was used with data from intermittent exercise. The accuracy of the existing equation adjusting HR(meas) for the influence of T(db) (HR(corr)) could be improved to HR(corr) = HR(meas) x (1.18308-(0.0083218 x T(db))). In conclusion, the effects of climatic heat stress on HR were similar in continuous and intermittent exercise, and HR can be adjusted for the influence of climate in groups of pre- and early pubertal children during rest, intermittent and continuous exercise at ambient temperatures between 22 degrees C and 35 degrees C, thereby reducing the error in predicting EE from HR.

Child↗

PubMed1998

Effects of age and gender on sweating pattern during exercise.

Most research on human thermoregulation has focused on young adult males. Much less information is available regarding females, children and the elderly. The following is a brief review of factors that have impeded research in this field, as well as of the main age- and gender-related differences in sweating responses to the combined stresses of exercise and ambient heat. For more comprehensive reviews, see Drinkwater and Horvath (1975), Kenney (1985; 1995) and Bar-Or (1989; 1996).

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Physical activity, genetic, and nutritional considerations in childhood weight management.

Almost one-quarter of U.S. children are now obese, a dramatic increase of over 20% in the past decade. It is intriguing that the increase in prevalence has been occurring while overall fat consumption has been declining. Body mass and composition are influenced by genetic factors, but the actual heritability of juvenile obesity is not known. A low physical activity (PA) is characteristic of obese children and adolescents, and it may be one cause of juvenile obesity. There is little evidence, however, that overall energy expenditure is low among the obese. There is a strong association between the prevalence of obesity and the extent of TV viewing. Enhanced PA can reduce body fat and blood pressure and improve lipoprotein profile in obese individuals. Its effect on body composition, however, is slower than with low-calorie diets. The three main dietary approaches are: protein sparing modified fast, balanced hypocaloric diets, and comprehensive behavioral lifestyle programs. To achieve long-standing control of overweight, one should combine changes in eating and activity patterns, using behavior modification techniques. However, the onus is also on society to reduce incentives for a sedentary lifestyle and over-consumption of food. To address the key issues related to childhood weight management, the American College of Sports Medicine convened a Scientific Roundtable in Indianapolis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Neuromotor ability in 5- to 7-year-old children with very low or extremely low birthweight.

This study was intended to determine the effects of extremely low birthweight (ELBW, 500 to 999 g) and very low birthweight (VLBW, 1000 to 1499 g) on neuromotor ability in 5- to 7-year-old children. Fourteen ELBW and 20 VLBW children were compared with 24 term control children of normal birthweight (NBW, >2500 g). Using quantitative assessment instruments, the following data were collected: maximal cycling speed during 30 seconds of cycling at 'zero' resistance, simple reaction time of the legs, and performance on components of a whole-body coordination test. The main findings were a slower reaction time, lower maximal cycling speed, and lower coordination scores in the ELBW group compared with the NBW group and, for some variables, with the VLBW group. The reduced motor performance in these children appears for the most part to be a reflection of impaired neuromotor control and motor development, rather than merely a smaller body or muscle size.

Child↗

PubMed1998

Consistency in preventing voluntary dehydration in boys who drink a flavored carbohydrate-NaCl beverage during exercise in the heat.

Twelve 10- to 12-year-old healthy boys performed six 70-min intermittent exercise sessions (three 20-min cycling bouts at 50% VO2max with 5 min rest in between) over a 2-week period at 35 +/- 1 degrees C, 50 +/- 5% or 60 +/- 5% relative humidity. Subjects drank grape-flavored solution with 6% carbohydrate (2% glucose, 4% sucrose) and 18.0 mmol.L-1 NaCl ad libitum. Body weight (BW), heart rate, rectal temperature, thirst, and stomach fullness perception were monitored periodically. There were no differences among the six sessions in voluntary drink intake (765-902 g), hydration level (+0.75 to +1.07%BW), sweating rate (245-263 g.m-2.hr-1), and the other physiological and perceptual variables. A positive fluid balance was achieved in 67 out of 72 sessions. Voluntary drink intake of grape-flavored carbohydrate-NaCl beverage was consistently sufficient to prevent dehydration in 10- to 12-year-old boys during repeated exposures of exercise in the heat. This effect is likely to be achieved through a combination of physiological and behavioral mechanisms.

Beverages↗

PubMed1998

Kinetics of oxygen uptake at the onset of exercise in boys and men.

The objective of this study was to compare the O2 uptake (VO2) kinetics at the onset of heavy exercise in boys and men. Nine boys, aged 9-12 yr, and 8 men, aged 19-27 yr, performed a continuous incremental cycling task to determine peak VO2 (VO2 peak). On 2 other days, subjects performed each day four cycling tasks at 80 rpm, each consisting of 2 min of unloaded cycling followed twice by cycling at 50% VO2 peak for 3.5 min, once by cycling at 100% VO2 peak for 2 min, and once by cycling at 130% VO2 peak for 75 s. O2 deficit was not significantly different between boys and men (respectively, 50% VO2 peak task: 6.6 +/- 11.1 vs. 5.5 +/- 7.3 ml . min-1 . kg-1; 100% VO2 peak task: 28.5 +/- 8.1 vs. 31.8 +/- 6.3 ml . min-1 . kg-1; and 130% VO2 peak task: 30.1 +/- 5.7 vs. 35.8 +/- 5.3 ml . min-1 . kg-1). To assess the kinetics, phase I was excluded from analysis. Phase II VO2 kinetics could be described in all cases by a monoexponential function. ANOVA revealed no differences in time constants between boys and men (respectively, 50% VO2 peak task: 22. 8 +/- 5.1 vs. 26.4 +/- 4.1 s; 100% VO2 peak task: 28.0 +/- 6.0 vs. 28.1 +/- 4.4 s; and 130% VO2 peak task: 19.8 +/- 4.1 vs. 20.7 +/- 5. 7 s). In conclusion, O2 deficit and fast-component VO2 on-transients are similar in boys and men, even at high exercise intensities, which is in contrast to the findings of other studies employing simpler methods of analysis. The previous interpretation that children rely less on nonoxidative energy pathways at the onset of heavy exercise is not supported by our findings.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Evaluation by exercise testing of the child with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is classified as a static encephalopathy. CP is a nonprogressive disorder affecting posture and movement and is commonly associated with a spectrum of developmental disabilities. Serial testing of physiological function can provide a quantitative assessment of improvement or decline in the condition of the patient. Furthermore, there are increasing numbers of children with disability who are involved in athletic activity, and the need for physiological feedback to the disabled athlete and coach is the same as for able-bodied individuals. It is acknowledged that children and adolescents with CP have a lower maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) compared with their able-bodied peers. Children with CP also have distinctly subnormal values for peak anaerobic power and muscular endurance of the upper and lower limbs. Irrespective of the scaling method used (absolute or relative), when compared with normal data from healthy controls, children with CP scored between 2 and 4 standard deviations below the expected mean value for power. Gait abnormalities in children with CP have been shown to increase submaximal walking energy expenditure almost 3-fold compared with healthy children. Assessment of the metabolic cost alone is important but does not provide any information on the mechanisms giving rise to the high energy cost of locomotion in children with CP. Hence, a multidisciplinary (kinetic, kinematic and electromyographic) approach is an important noninvasive tool for studying some of the underlying mechanisms responsible for abnormal gait and elevated energy costs. A certain level of muscle co-contraction is necessary for achieving joint stability during locomotion, particularly at the ankle and knee. There appears, however, to be a co-contraction threshold beyond which there are associated elevated metabolic costs during locomotion in children with CP.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed1997

Birth weight and physical ability in 5- to 8-yr-old healthy children born prematurely.

Recent advances in perinatal care have resulted in increased survival rates of extremely small and immature newborns. This has resulted in some neurodevelopmental impairment. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate and compare neuromuscular performance in children born prematurely at various levels of subnormal birth weight (BW). Subjects were 5- to 8-yr-old children born prematurely at different levels of subnormal BW (535-1760 g, N = 22, PM), and age-matched controls born at full term (> 2500 g, N = 15, CON). None of the subjects had any clinically defined neuromuscular disabilities. Body mass (BM) of PM was lower than that of CON (18.3 +/- 2.7 vs 21.7 +/- 3.8 kg) with no difference in height or sum of 4 skinfolds. Peak mechanical power output determined with a 15-s modified Wingate Anaerobic Test and corrected for BM was lower (P = 0.07) in PM than in CON (5.11 +/- 1.07 vs 5.94 +/- 1.00 W.kg-1). This was especially noticeable in children born at extremely low BW (ELBW, < 1000 g, 4.49 +/- 1.04 W.kg-1, P < 0.01). Peak power, determined in a force-plate vertical jump, corrected for BM was lower in PM vs CON (25.5 +/- 5.4 vs 30.8 +/- 5.2 W.kg-1, respectively P = 0.01), especially in the ELBW group (20.0 +/- 5.5 W.kg-1). Similarly, the elapsed time between peak velocity and actual jump take-off was longer in PM than in CON (41.2 +/- 9.4 vs 35.8 +/- 5.8 ms, respectively, P = 0.04). No differences were observed in peak force. The results suggest that performance deficiencies of prematurely-born children may be a result of inferior inter-muscular coordination. The precise neuromotor factors responsible for this should be identified by future research.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed1996

Plasma metabolites, volume and electrolytes following 30-s high-intensity exercise in boys and men.

It has been shown that boys recover faster than men following brief, high-intensity exercise. Better to understand this difference, plasma metabolite concentration, volume, electrolyte concentration [electrolyte], and hydrogen ion concentration [H+] changes were compared in five prepubescent boys [mean age 9.6 (SD 0.9) years] and 5 men [mean age 24.9 (SD 4.3) years] following 30-s, all-out cycling. Blood was collected prior to, at the end, and at the 1st, 3rd and 10th min following exercise. At the 10th min of recovery, the men's lactate concentration was 14.2 (SD 1.8) mmol.l-1 and [H+] was 66.1 (SD 5.9) nmol.l-1, compared with 5.7 (SD 0.7) mmol.l-1 and 47.5 (SD 1.2) nmol.l-1 respectively, in the boys (P < 0.01 for both). The glycerol concentration was higher in the boys at the end of exercise and until the 3rd min of recovery. Plasma volume (PV) decreased more in the men [16.9 (SD 3.0)%] than in the boys [9.4 (SD 2.8)%]. In both groups, [electrolyte] increased after exercise, tending to be higher in the men. Recovery of plasma [electrolyte] and PV started earlier in the boys (1st min) than in the men (3rd min). These findings would support the notion of a lesser reliance on glycolytic energy pathways in children and may explain the faster recovery of muscle power in boys compared to men.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Role of exercise in the assessment and management of neuromuscular disease in children.

In the child with a neuromuscular disease (NMD), one can use exercise for the assessment of physiological function and as a therapeutic modality. Functions most relevant for assessment are muscle strength, muscle endurance, peak mechanical power, and O2 cost of movement. Maximal aerobic power is less important because it seldom is the limiting factor in the child's ability to perform daily physical activities. There are very few well-designed controlled training interventions in children with NMD. There is, however, some evidence to suggest that maximal aerobic power, muscle strength, and O2 cost of locomotion are trainable in children with NMD.

Cerebral Palsy↗

PubMed1996

Role of cocontraction in the O2 cost of walking in children with cerebral palsy.

UNLABELLED: A major movement related limitation for children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) is the compromised gait pattern, which may explain their excessive energy cost of locomotion. The aims of this study were to determine differences in the O2 cost of locomotion between children with CP (7 males, 2 females; 12.7 +/- 2.8 yr) and able-bodied controls (7 male, 1 female; 13.6 +/- 2.1 yr) and to assess the contribution that cocontraction of agonist and antagonist muscles had upon the elevated O2 cost seen in children with CP versus able-bodied controls. The treadmill submaximal walking protocol consisted of 2 x 4 min intermittent stages at 3 km.h-1 and 90% of the predetermined fastest walking speed (FWS) at 0% grade. Electromyographic data were collected during the final minute of each bout from vastus lateralis and hamstrings (thigh) and tibialis anterior and soleus (lower leg). Significant (P < 0.05) differences were noted at 3 km.h-1 for mass-relative VO2. (CP: 16.6 +/- 6.5 vs control: 10.2 +/- 1.2 ml.kg-1.min-1), % VO2max (CP: 53.5 +/- 26.0 vs CONTROL: 22.5 +/- 4.93) and heart rate (CP: 143 +/- 41 vs CONTROL: 91 +/- 14 beats.min-1). Thigh and lower leg muscle cocontraction accounted for 51.4% and 42.8%, respectively, of the variability in VO2 for the subjects with CP at 3 km.h-1. These results suggest that cocontraction is a major factor responsible for the higher energy cost of walking seen in children with CP.

Adolescent↗