• Ashraf S Gorgey, Heather Martin, Alyse Metz, Refka E Khalil, David R Dolbow, and David R Gater.
• a Spinal Cord Injury Service and Disorders, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center , Richmond , VA , USA.
• J Spinal Cord Med. 2016 Nov 1; 39 (6): 699-712.

Study DesignLongitudinal design.ObjectivesThe study was undertaken to determine the effects of cessation of exercise interventions on body composition and metabolic profiles in men with chronic SCI.SettingsClinical trials within a Medical Center.MethodsEleven men with motor complete SCI were followed on average over a period of 2.5 years. Six men were involved in two different exercise interventions (functional electrical stimulation cycling versus arm cycling ergometer), 5 days/week for 16 weeks (exercise group), and five men served as a control (control group). Anthropometrics and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were captured to measure changes in lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM), percentage FM before, immediately after exercise, and after a period of 2.5 years. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and lipid panel were also measured.ResultsThigh circumference increased by 8.5% following exercise (P = 0.042) and remained 6.4% greater than baseline measurements (P = 0.012). Leg LM increased by 9% following the exercise intervention (P = 0.03) and decreased by 16% in the follow-up visit (P = 0.02). Percentage trunk and total body FM increased by 4.5% (P = 0.008) and 3.5% (P = 0.019) in the follow-up visit, respectively, and whole body LM increased by 8.4% and decreased back by 5.4% following a 2.5 year-period. BMR significantly decreased by 15.5% following the exercise (P = 0.029) interventions.ConclusionExercise training is accompanied with positive changes in body composition as well as compensatory decrease in BMR, that regressed back following 2.5 years of exercise cessation. Participation in an exercise trial is unlikely to confound the measurements of a follow-up trial.

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