Road to Tokyo Paralympic Games: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mood States of Brazilian Para Athletes.

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the world of sports due to the imposed quarantine and the postponement of regional, national, and international sporting events, which affected physical, socioeconomic, and psychological aspects of athletes. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate changes in the mood state profile of Brazilian Para athletes at 2 different time points during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically during their qualification for the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Design: This study used a longitudinal study design.

Paralympic Versus Olympic Canoe Sprint: Comprehension of the Development Trajectory of the Kayak 200 Meters.

Improvements in race times for male and female Para canoe athletes across different sports classes have led to a reduction in relative differences between classes over time. However, there is a lack of research examining the comparative developmental trajectories between high-performance Paralympic (PCS) and Olympic (OCS) canoe sprint. In this study, we compared the developmental trajectories of 200-meter kayak performances among PCS and OCS athletes.

Age-Related Trajectory and Age at Peak Competitive Performance in Wheelchair Rugby Players at the Paralympic Games.

Objective: The first objective is to examine the age-related trajectory of competitive performance and the age at peak competitive performance in wheelchair rugby players at the Paralympic Games. Another objective is to verify age correlations with performance over the years for each class.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study.

Effects of different training methods in tele-exercise on acute performance decrement in adults with disability and wheelchair users.

Purpose: Wheelchair users and people with disabilities have limited access to physical exercise due to various factors, including medical follow-up and training facilities. Although tele-exercise guided by experts has become a viable option, there is limited knowledge about the acute performance decrement (APD) resulting from remote training methods. The current cross-sectional study aimed to: (1) assess the APD of muscle resistance strength after three synchronous tele-exercise training methods in wheelchair users and (2) compare the training loads associated with each training method.

Sit-to-stand test and handgrip strength in men and women with post-COVID-19 syndrome without invasive ventilator support: insights from a Brazilian observational study.

Two valid tests have been used in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome due to their fast application, feasibility, and accessible procedures, facilitating data collection in large groups: the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (STS) and handgrip strength (HGS) dynamometry. The present study aimed to i) assess the STS and HGS in men and women with post-COVID-19 syndrome who did not require invasive ventilator support; ii) correlate STS repetitions and HGS with time since the COVID-19 diagnosis. 622 men and women with post-COVID-19 syndrome who did not require invasive ventilatory support performed the STS and HGS tests at the beginning of the rehabilitation process at a Reference Hospital Center.

Does tele-exercise training for tetraplegia meet the spinal cord injury-specific physical activity guidelines? A 7-month longitudinal study.

Introduction: Tele-exercise, defined as an intervention that offers physical training provided remotely, represents an alternative for remote care during social isolation and the absence of in-person interventions, considering the difficulties of regular exercise engagement in tetraplegia. The current study aimed to examine whether tele-exercise training in individuals with tetraplegia meets the recommendations proposed by the spinal cord injury (SCI)-specific guidelines, and the adherence.

Methods: Twenty SCI tetraplegia performed tele-exercise training.

Performance Trajectory Related to Age, Classification, and Sex in Elite Kayak Para Canoe Athletes.

Objective: The aim of the study is to verify the performance trajectory related to age, classification (KL: kayak level; M: male; F: female), and sex of elite kayak Para canoe athletes.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study.

Results: Race results and athletes' data were retrieved from publicly available online databases for 17 competitions and 102 finals between 2015 and 2022.

Mechanical diagnosis and therapy in musculoskeletal pain of individuals with spinal cord injury.

Context/objective: Musculoskeletal pain (MSKP) has high prevalence in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) is a method focused on identifying the pain source in the musculoskeletal system and presents good results in pain relief in people without neurological impairment. However, no studies have investigated the use of MDT in SCI population.

Cross-Cultural Translation and Adaptation of the Perceived Recovery Status Scale to Brazilian Portuguese.

Context: One of the primary training variables, although often overlooked, is recovery level achieved before starting subsequent training sessions. To find a more practical measurement that is consonant with the daily training routine, the Perceived Recovery Status (PRS) scale is proposed. In this perspective, the present study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the PRS scale into Brazilian Portuguese.

Feasibility and validity of the push-up test for synchronous and asynchronous strength tele-assessment in spinal cord injury individuals with paraplegia.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether the synchronous and asynchronous push-up tele-assessment in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) is feasible and valid and to identify the relationship between the participants' self-reported asynchronous strength tele-assessment and asynchronous push-up tele-assessment.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Thirty-three men and women with SCI were included in this study.

Validity of range of motion, muscle strength, sensitivity, and Tinel sign tele-assessment in adults with traumatic brachial plexus injury.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing created challenges for accessing and providing health services. Telemedicine enables prompt evaluation of patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury, even at a distance, without prejudice to the prognosis. The present study aimed to verify the validity of range of motion, muscle strength, sensitivity, and Tinel sign tele-assessment in adults with traumatic brachial plexus injury (TBPI).

Handgrip Strength Cutoff Points for Functional Independence and Wheelchair Ability in Men With Spinal Cord Injury.

Objectives: To determine optimal handgrip strength (HGS) cutoff points for greater functional independence and wheelchair skills in men with spinal cord injury (SCI), and to establish predictive equations for functional independence and wheelchair ability in men with SCI, based on demographic characteristics, HGS, and functionality.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted at a rehabilitation hospital, 54 men with SCI were recruited and stratified into high and low paraplegia groups. All participants performed a maximum HGS test to determine cutoff points for the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM-III) and Adapted Manual Wheelchair Circuit (AMWC).

Peak Torque Prediction Using Handgrip and Strength Predictors in Men and Women With Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

Objectives: To establish predictive equations for peak torque of muscle groups with totally and partially preserved innervation in individuals with motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI), based on hand dynamometry and strength predictor variables.

Methods: The cross-sectional study conducted at a rehabilitation hospital consecutively recruited 108 men and women with SCI. All participants performed maximum peak torque tests for shoulder abduction/adduction (isokinetic), trunk flexion/extension (isometric), and handgrip strength testing (hand dynamometer) to establish predictive peak torque equations.

Internal and External Training Workload Quantification in 4 Experienced Paracanoeing Athletes.

Context: Paracanoeing is one of the adapted sports eligible for different motor impairments. The acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) is an index between acute and chronic training workload. However, no studies have analyzed this variable in paracanoeing, relating it with training recovery markers.

Correlations Between Medicine Ball Throw With Wheelchair Mobility and Isokinetic Tests in Basketball Para-Athletes.

Context: A detailed analysis of wheelchair basketball skills in beginner wheelchair basketball players (WBP) can provide practitioners with important indications regarding the selection and prospective development of potential sports talents. A comprehensive WBP evaluation can be very time consuming, mainly during the initial phases of the training processes, which could be a barrier in clinical and practical settings. Moreover, the large number and the turnover of beginner WBP attending rehabilitation centers make the applicability of field and strength tests unfeasible.

Medicine Ball Throw Responsiveness to Measure Wheelchair Basketball Mobility in Male Players.

Context: Monitoring training loads and consequent fatigue responses are usually a result of personal trainers' experiences and an adaptation of methods used in sports for people without disabilities. Currently, there is little scientific evidence on the relationship between training load and fatigue resulting from training sessions in wheelchair sports. Analogous to the vertical jump, which has been associated with competitive performance and used to assess fatigue in Olympic sports, the medicine ball throw (MBT) is a fast, feasible, and accessible test that might be used to measure performance outcomes in Paralympic athletes.

Accuracy and cut-off points of different models of knee extension strength analysis to identify walking performance in individuals with chronic stroke.

Background: Adequate muscle strength is essential for walking performance in individuals with stroke.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of different forms of muscle knee extension strength analysis to identify high or low walking performance in individuals with chronic stroke.

Methods: Twenty-eight participants with a chronic stroke for more than six months participated.

Performance Differences Between the Arched and Flat Bench Press in Beginner and Experienced Paralympic Powerlifters.

Neto, FR, Dorneles, JR, Luna, RM, Spina, MA, Gonçalves, CW, and Gomes Costa, RR. Performance differences between the arched and flat bench press in beginner and experienced Paralympic powerlifters. J Strength Cond Res 36(7): 1936-1943, 2022-The present study aimed to verify the differences of the total load, trajectory of the barbell in the sagittal plane, and mean velocity of the barbell between the arched and flat techniques of the bench press in beginner (BG) and experienced (EG) Paralympic powerlifters.

Muscle Strength Cutoff Points for Functional Independence and Wheelchair Ability in Men With Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective: Determine trunk and shoulder muscle strength cutoff points for functional independence and wheelchair skills, and verify the predictive capacity of relative and absolute peak torque in men with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Rehabilitation hospital setting.

Are Body Composition, Strength, and Functional Independence Similarities Between Spinal Cord Injury Classifications? A Discriminant Analysis.

Context: There seems to be no consensus on which aspects better distinguish the different levels of spinal cord injury regarding body composition, strength, and functional independence.

Objective: The study aimed to determine which variables better differentiate tetraplegia (TP) from paraplegia and high paraplegia (HP) from low paraplegia (LP).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Cross-validity of one maximum repetition predictive equation for men with spinal cord injury.

The study aimed to test the cross-validation of a specific one maximum repetition (1RM) predictive equation based on the 4- to 12-maximum repetition test (4-12RM) for men with spinal cord injury (SCI). Cross-sectional study. Rehabilitation Hospital Network.

Differences of Relative and Absolute Strength of Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury From Able-Bodied Subjects: A Discriminant Analysis.

Context: Strength training is one of the most common interventions employed to increase functional independence during rehabilitation of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, in the literature, different results have been reported in terms of strength modifications after a SCI compared with a control group (CG).

Objective: This study aimed to verify whether discriminant analysis using relative and absolute strength is able to discriminate individuals with different levels of SCI from a CG and to compare strength values of men with different levels of SCI with a CG.