Aerobic capacity and aerobic load of activities of daily living after stroke

Abstract

People after stroke often have a lower aerobic capacity than their healthy peers. On top of that, the aerobic load of daily activities such as walking is frequently (much) higher in this group. Often, these issues are investigated separately, but the actual impact on daily functioning can only be perceived when they are combined. A lower capacity and higher load will result in a high relative aerobic load of daily activities, i.e., people need to act at a high level of their maximal capacity. A high relative aerobic load may be a central cause of limitations in daily activities and participation as people either fatigue easily during tasks with a high load, have to slow their pace, or avoid these tasks all together. In this chapter, we review the current knowledge on aerobic capacity and aerobic load of daily activities in people after stroke. Moreover, we estimate the relative load experienced by stroke survivors performing these activities in an attempt to better understand the role of aerobic capacity and load in activity limitations in people after stroke.