Abstract
The present study was carried out determine the physiological intensities of cerebral palsy children during swimming exercises. Heart rate responses during swimming exercises were recorded continuously by telemetry in 5 severe cerebral palsy subjects of 9-11 years of age. Maximum heart rates ranged from 128 to 198beats/min and mean heart rates were 99-163beats/min. Mean heart rates during swimming were 149 and 163beats/min in athetotic subjects and 99, 105 and 121beats/min in spastic subjects. There was tendency that heart rate of the athetotics was more increased than that of spastic subjects.
There was significant correlation between oxygen intake and heart rate during swimming exercises in a mild spastic subject. Maximum oxygen intake obtained during treadmill walking was about 25% higher than the oxygen intake measured when the same cerebral palsy child was swimming.
