Strength Training With Eccentric Arm-cranking in Para-athletes

The new training device, the eccentric arm-crank, will be examined for its training effects in athletes with a spinal cord injury (SCI) by this project. That the training device can be used in patients with paraplegia in the future, the so-called "testing of the applicability of this concept" will be carried out during this study. Fourteen volunteer, healthy athletes with SCI are first tested for their upper body performance, followed by a training phase over 20 trainings and at the end the performance data is collected again. The training intensity and duration is continuously increased during the training phase.

At the beginning, the study design includes a familiarisation appointment with performance tests and training on the eccentric arm-crank device (KREHA). At least one week later, the first test sequence including a maximum strength test (bench press) and a test to determine the anaerobic performance (Wingate test) is conducted. The second test sequence takes place one to three days later. This includes a handgrip strength test, an aerobic endurance test (ramp test on the arm crank ergometer with ergospirometry) and a further familiarisation training on the KREHA. The training phase starts within two weeks after the pre-tests have been completed. There are two to a maximum of three trainings per week. These take 30 to 45 minutes and take place on the KREHA device under the supervision of the study staff. The training phase lasts a maximum of twelve weeks (20 training sessions). The first test sequence is repeated five to eight days after the last workout. The second test sequence takes place at the same time interval as in the pre-tests.