The present experiment was designed to study the importance of strength and muscle mass as factors limiting maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in wheelchair subjects. Thirteen paraplegic subjects [mean age 29.8 (8.7) years] were studied during continuous incremental exercises until exhaustion on an arm-cranking ergometer (AC), a wheelchair ergometer (WE) and motor-driven treadmill (TM). Lean arm volume (LAV) was estimated using an anthropometric method based upon the measurement of various circumferences of the arm and forearm. Maximal strength (MVF) was measured while pushing on the rim of the wheelchair for three positions of the hand on the rim (-30 degrees, 0 degrees and +30 degrees). The results indicate that paraplegic subjects reached a similar VO2max [1.23 (0.34) 1 x min(-1), 1.25 (0.38) 1 x min(-1), 1.22 (0.18) 1 x min(-1) for AC, TM and WE, respectively] and VO2max/body mass [19.7 (5.2) ml x min(-1) x kg(-1), 19.5 (6.14) ml x min(-1) x kg(-1), 19.18 (4.27) ml x min(-1) x kg(-1) for AC, TM and WE, respectively on the three ergometers. Maximal heart rate f((c) (max)) during the last minute of AC (173 (17) beats x min(-1)], TM [168 (14) beats x min(-1)], and WE [165 (16) beats x min(-1)], were correlated, but f((c) (max)) was significantly higher for AC than for TM (P < 0.03). There were significant correlations between MVF and LAV (P < 0.001) and between the MVF data obtained at different angles of the hand on the rim [311.9 (90.1) N, 313.2 (81.2) N, 257.1 (71) N, at -30 degrees, 0 degrees and +30 degrees, respectively]. There was no correlation between VO2max and LAV or MVF. The relatively low values of f((c) (max)) suggest that VO2max was, at least in part, limited by local aerobic factors instead of central cardiovascular factors. On the other hand, the lack of a significant correlation between VO2max and MVF or muscle mass was not in favour of muscle strength being the main factor limiting VO2max in our subjects.