Exercise Interventions Targeting Obesity in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to cardiometabolic complications, with obesity being a significant risk. Exercise is recommended for managing these complications, but specific strategies are needed to target obesity in SCI patients. Exercise for obesity should aim to create a calorie deficit and increase fat utilization. However, SCI reduces the muscle mass available for exercise and limits the body's ability to use fat as fuel. Exercise plans for obese individuals with SCI should focus on large muscle groups to promote muscle growth and boost overall energy expenditure. Although the body may rely on carbohydrates during exercise, certain types of exercise can encourage the use of fat as fuel after the workout.

• 1
  SCI leads to reduced muscle mass and decreased oxidative capacity, limiting the effectiveness of exercise in creating a calorie deficit.
• 2
  Exercise that maximizes glycogen use may lead to increased fat utilization during the post-exercise recovery period.
• 3
  Hypertrophy of muscles involved in exercise results in increased exercise energy expenditure throughout training.