Can Arm and Leg Cycling Exercise Improve Walking After Stroke?

It has been found that arm and leg cycling is similar to walking in terms of the muscle activation patterns, joint ranges of motion, and neural pathways activated. Another advantage of arm and leg cycling is that it involves coordination of all four limbs in a rhythmic movement. This may be particularly beneficial given previous findings that arm movement contributes to the activation of leg muscles during walking in humans. This is achieved with interconnected neural pathways that link the arms to the legs. These neural interlimb connections remain intact in stroke victims, such that maximizing the contribution of the arms to the legs may increase coordination for walking.

Thus, the objective of this research is to determine if arm and leg cycling can be used to increase the strength of inter-limb connections and if this helps to improve walking ability in a post-stroke population. 15-20 participants will be recruited to participate in a five week training intervention where measures will be taken before and after the intervention to assess efficacy. Arm and leg cycling could provide a novel method to improve inter-limb coupling and walking ability. These outcomes would directly impact the health and quality of life for those who have suffered a stroke.