APAQ, 26(4), October 2009, Copyright © 2009
Case Study: Effect of Handrim Diameter on
Performance in a Paralympic Wheelchair
Athlete
Gabriel Brizuela Costa, Miguel Polo Rubio, Salvador Llana Belloch, Pedro Perez Soriano
Abstract
This study, with a top T-52 class athlete, determines the relationship between stroke
frequency (SF) and push time (PT) and wheelchair velocity (Wv) using different handrim
diameters (HD) and the effect of different HDs on the athlete’s heart rate (HR)
and blood lactate (LACT) at competition speeds. Wv shows a linear-direct relationship
with SF but a linear-inverse relationship with PT (p < .001 in both cases). Using
bigger handrims (0.37 m instead of 0.36 m), SF increases 6%, while PT decreases
27% (at 24 Km·h−1). HR (p < .0001) increases with Wv and is also affected by HD
with differences between the 0.34 m—0.36 m handrim group (lower values) and the
0.37 m handrim (higher values). Significant interaction (p < .0001) is identified
between HD and Wv. LACT results seem to follow the same direction as HR. This
methodology helped the athlete to choose the optimum HD, and his achievements
(some world records) indicate that HD optimization could be highly profitable in
sport terms. | 
