Physical Activity Level is Associated with the O2 Cost of Walking in Cerebral Palsy

PURPOSE: To determine, in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), the relationship between physical activity level (PAL) and i) oxygen cost of walking, and ii) peak VO2. METHODS: In 11 subjects (10.6-16.3 yr) with mild CP, PAL, the ratio of total energy expenditure to resting energy expenditure, was determined from 3 d of heart rate (HR) monitoring (field), with individual HR-VO2 calibrations done in the lab. The oxygen cost of …