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Long-term intensive electrically stimulated cycling by spinal cord-injured people: Effect on muscle properties and their relation to power output

I initiated an international multi-centre clinical trial of FES cycling for paraplegics with spinal cord injury. Previous studies had produced low power and thus little opportunity for healthy exercise after training. We arranged subjects to do much more training but surprisingly, this did not lead to increase power and greater capacity for exercise. So while people with SCI will benefit from exercise of their paralysed muscles by stimulation, they cannot enjoy outdoor cycling for recreation. There is some limitation to FES exercise that is not understood: further investigation of whole-body physiology is required.