The effect of Sub-maximal exercise-rehabilitation program on cardio-respiratory endurance indexes and oxygen pulse in patients with spastic cerebral palsy

Physical or cardio-respiratory fitness are of the best important physiological variables in children withcerebral palsy (cp), but the researches on exercise response of individuals with cp are limited. our aim was to determinethe effect of sub-maximal rehabilitation program (aerobic exercise) on maximal oxygen uptake, oxygen pulse and cardiorespiratoryphysiological variables of children with moderate to severe spastic cerebral palsy diplegia and eompare withable-bodied children.methods: in a controlled clinical trial study, 15 children with diplegia spastic cerebral palsy, were recruited on avoluntarily basis (experimental group) and 18 subjects without neurological impairments selected as control group. in cpgroup, aerobic exercise program performed on the average of exercise intensity (144 beat per minute of heart rate), 3 times aweek for 3 months. the time of each exercise session was 20-25 minutes. dependent variables were measured in before(pretest) and after (post test) of rehabilitation program through mac master protocol on tantories cycle ergometer in cpgroup and compared with the control group.results: the oxygen pulse (y02/hr) during ergometery protocol was significantly lower in cp group than normal group(p