Cardiometabolic Disease (CMD) is the silent killer within the spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) population. Many SCI/D patients' initial CMD presentation is with a heart attack, stroke, or sudden cardiac death, highlighting the need for interventions to reduce CMD risk. CMD contributes to 46% of deaths, with 30-50% of the SCI/D population living with undiagnosed CMD. Treating CMD risk is more challenging in the SCI/D population due to prolonged inactivity, inability to exercise, and excessive caloric intake to expenditure ratio. Identifying accessible and inclusive strategies to combat CMD risk in the SCI/D population is a compelling and urgent health priority. Blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise involves applying inflatable cuffs to the proximal end of an individual's limbs. Changes to the amount of blood flowing into and out of the limb lead to a low oxygen environment within the limb, shifting the way the muscles can produce the energy required to function, increasing the benefits of low- and moderate-intensity exercise. Coupling BFR with Functional electrical stimulation cycling (FES-cycling), a commonly used rehabilitation tool within the SCI population, could improve FES-cycling's short- and long-term benefits without reducing the accessibility and inclusiveness of long-term exercise prescription. Although preliminary BFR research in the SCI/D has identified positive muscular improvements, whether FES-cycling coupled with BFR can be safely prescribed or feasibly implemented long-term within the SCI/D population is unknown. The proposed project aims to determine the safety and feasibility of FES-cycling coupled with BFR for 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise among adults with chronic spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D). The research team aims to implement pre-test, eight exercise sessions, and post-test across 6-weeks. Criteria for success include no adverse or severe adverse events not alleviated by ceasing exercise (safety), a 1 to 8 ratio of participants screened to participants eligible (recruitment success), and participants successfully completing all exercise sessions (participant retention).
Age range
18 Years – 75 Years
Sex
ALL
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Participant Retention
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Safety - Skin Checks
Timeframe: 6 weeks
Safety - Adverse Event Report
Timeframe: 6 weeks
Recruitment Rate
Timeframe: 2 to 3 months, depending on how successful the recruitment process is.
Change in CMD Risk Profile - Lipid Profile
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Participant Perspectives and Experience
Timeframe: 6 weeks
Safety - Heart Rate
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Safety - Blood Pressure
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Safety - Oxygen Saturation
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Safety - Rating of Perceived Exertion and Discomfort.
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Change in CMD Risk Profile - C-Reactive Protein
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Change in CMD Risk Profile - Hemoglobin A1c
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Change in CMD Risk Profile - Fasted Plasma Glucose
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Change in CMD Risk Profile - Waist Circumference
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.
Change in CMD Risk Profile - Body Mass Index
Timeframe: Six weeks - From enrollment to the end of the exercise protocol.