Study design: Single trial, two factor repeated measures design. Setting: England, Cheshire. Objectives: To examine the thermoregulatory responses of able-bodied (AB) athletes, paraplegic (PA) athletes and a tetraplegic (TP) athlete at rest, during prolonged upper body exercise and recovery. Methods: Exercise was performed on a Monark cycle ergometer (Ergomedic 814E) adapted for arm exercise at 60% VO 2 peak for 60 min in cool conditions (`normal' laboratory temperature; 21.5+1.78C and 47+7.8% relative humidity). Aural and skin temperatures were continually monitored. Results: Mean (+S.D.) peak oxygen uptake values were greater (P50.05) for the AB when compared to the PA (3.45+0.45 l min 71 and 2.00+0.46 l min 71 , respectively). Peak oxygen uptake for the TP was 0.91 l min 71 . At rest, aural temperature was similar between groups (36.2+0.38C, 36.3+0.38C and 36.38C for AB, PA and TP athletes, respectively). During exercise, aural temperature demonstrated relatively steady state values increasing by 0.6+0.48C and 0.6+0.38C for the AB and PA athletes, respectively. The TP athlete demonstrated a gradual rise in aural temperature throughout the exercise period of 0.98C. Thigh skin temperature increased by 1.3+2.58C for the AB athletes (P50.05) whereas the PA athletes demonstrated little change in temperature (0.1+3.48C and 70.78C respectively). Calf temperature increased for the PA athletes by 1.0+3.68C (P50.05), whereas a decrease was observed for the AB athletes of 71.0+2.08C (P50.05) during the exercise period. During 30 min of passive recovery, the AB athletes demonstrated greater decreases in aural temperatures than those for the PA athletes (P50.05). Aural temperature for the TP increased peaking at 5 min of recovery remaining elevated until the end of the recovery period. Fluid consumption and weight losses were similar for the AB and PA athletes (598+433 ml and 403+368 ml; 0.38+0.39 kg and 0.38+0.31 kg, respectively), whereas changes in plasma volume were greater for the AB athletes (79.8+5.8% and 4.36+4.9%, respectively; P50.05). Conclusion:The results of this study suggest that under the experimental conditions PA athletes are at no greater thermal risk than AB athletes. A relationship between the available muscle mass for heat production and sweating capacity appears evident for the maintenance of thermal balance. During recovery from exercise, decreases in aural temperature, skin temperature and heat storage were greatest for the AB athletes with the greatest capacity for heat loss and lowest for the TP athlete with the smallest capacity for heat loss. Initial observations on one TP athlete suggest substantial thermoregulatory di erences when compared to AB and PA athletes.

The purpose of this study was to determine (1) the repeatability of a currently recommended protocol for determination of VO2 peak during upper body exercise involving a crank rate of 60 rev min-1 (Hale et al. 1988), (2) whether employing a higher crank rate (70 rev min-1) elicits higher VO2 peak values; (3) whether including an additional exercise stage 5 min after volitional exhaustion would elicit higher VO2 peak values. Twenty subjects (mean +/- SD) age, height and body mass were 22.8 +/- 1.8 years, 176 +/- 5.0 cm and 77.5 +/- 4.0 kg, respectively) visited the laboratory on three separate occasions. Subjects performed a different test to determine upper body VO2 peak on each visit. The tests were continuous and incremental in nature and were performed on a Monark cycle ergometer (Model 814E) adapted for arm exercise. Test 1 required subjects to exercise at a crank rate of 60 rev min-1 (60RPM-1). Test 2 was identical to test 1 (60RPM-2) but after 5 min recovery from the test subjects performed a further exercise stage (60RPM-F). Test 3 employed a crank rate of 70 rev min-1 (70RPM). Five minutes after volitional exhaustion a further exercise stage was performed (70RPM-F). The levels of agreement for the 60 rev min-1 protocol were +/-0.50 1 min-1. All VO2 peak values achieved were within these limits. However, a higher VO2 peak was achieved by employing a crank rate of 70 rev min-1 (p < 0.05). The VO2 peak achieved for 60RPM-F was similar to 60RPM whereas the VO2 peak for 70RPM-F tended to be less than that for 70RPM (p = 0.064). The results of this study suggest that the 60 rev min-1 protocol can reliably determine VO2 peak, however it would appear to be more appropriate to employ a 70 rev min-1 protocol as higher values were attained.