Maximal Treadmill Performance of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Nine children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and 9 controls (mean age 13.5 and 14.0, respectively) completed a maximal walking test on the treadmill. Initial gradient was set at 0% with a speed increase every 2 minutes until the “fastest walking speed” was achieved in the third stage. The gradient was then increased by 2.5–5% every 2 minutes. V̇O 2 max of the CP children was significantly lower ( p = .001) than that of the controls (32.7 vs. 45.2 ml · kg 1 · min −1 ). There was no significant difference in maximal heart rate between the two groups (189 vs. 197). However, the CP subjects had significantly higher ( p = .007) ventilatory equivalent for O 2 compared to the controls (41.4 vs. 33.6). The lower V̇O 2 max values of the CP children might reflect inefficient ventilation, compromised circulation, and local fatigue in the spastic limb muscles.