Enhancing Wheelchair Sport Performance chapter 29 Enhancing Wheelchair Sport Performance Abu B. Yilla

The Athlete and the Wheelchair: A System Approach The system approach The athlete + The wheelchair + Strapping (and other stabilization techniques) + Skills and techniques = A performance system Selection of the appropriate sport, as well as wheelchair, is essential for success. (continued)

The Athlete and the Wheelchair: A System Approach (continued) Training—establish a sound cardiovascular base: Training rollers Arm-crank ergometers Upper-body exercisers

Training Performance-related fitness: movement, coordination, agility, power, speed, and balance Weight training will develop strength and indirectly power Focus on remediating asymmetry associated with pushing by focusing on back and extensor muscles Appropriate stretching Medical concerns Temperature regulation Autonomic dysreflexia: “boosting”

The Wheelchair The frame: as light and as rigid as possible. Wheels Number varies by sport and athlete preference. Size of mainwheels varies by sport and position or function in the sport.

The Wheelchair Camber is common to all sports chairs that have wheels. It is created to . . . Allow maximum force application to the pushrims Increase the stability of the chair Improve the turning characteristics of the chair Camber

Racing Chair T-frame Bucket seat Mainwheel Pushrim Front castor Light and rigid Bucket seat Can be adjusted for height Mainwheel Alignment Avoid toe-in and toe out Size depends on event Pushrim Size depends on Event Power and size of the athlete Front castor Single and larger than court chairs Compensator and steering mechanism for control Bucket Seat Mainwheel T-Frame Front Castor Push Rim Steering Mechanism Compensator Image courtesy of Per4Max Medical

Court Chair Basketball chair (for the player who plays center) Frame Light and rigid Mainwheels Number varies by sport Note the extra wheel at the back for stability Image courtesy of Per4Max Medical

System Considerations: Racing Chairs

Propulsion Technique—Racing

Retarding Forces and Overcoming Them Rolling resistance Reduced by inflating tires to highest safe pressure Track (wider tires) On the road (thinner tires) Aerodynamic drag Surface and form drag Reduced by making front silhouette as small as possible (tucked position) Drafting Very efficient; has contributed to the speeds seen in road races

System Considerations: Court Chairs

Horizontal and Vertical Mainwheel Adjustments

Tennis Chair Note the “fifth” wheel (in this case it is actually the fourth) Image courtesy of Per4Max Medical

Other System Considerations Strapping Improves the stability of the athlete. Orthotics and prosthetics can also help. Increases “volumes of action.” Aids in tipping up or “standing” the chair. Skill development Many resources are available that aid both skill development and strategic understanding in the sport.

Sir Ludwig Guttmann "It is no exaggeration to say that the paraplegic [sic] and his [sic] chair have become one, in the same way as a first-class horseman and his [sic] mount” (Weisman and Godfrey, 1976). This is the essence of the system approach to enhancing wheelchair sport performance.