The findings in ten subjects who had an amputation of the lower limb or
limbs were studied before and after a fifteen-week aerobic conditioning
program to determine if it improved cardiovascular fitness and reduced the
effort of walking. Each subject exercised on an Air-Dyne ergometer
(Schwinn, Chicago, Illinois) regularly during each week of the study period
at 60 to 80 per cent of their estimated maximum heart rate. A test of
maximum exercise on the ergometer and a test of walking on a treadmill were
administered before and after training. After training, there was an
increase of 25 per cent in the maximum capacity for exercise on the
ergometer as well as significantly lower values for heart rate and
consumption of oxygen during submaximum walking on the treadmill at various
inclined grades. Aerobic conditioning was shown not only to improve
cardiovascular fitness but also to increase the economy of walking in the
subject who had an amputation of the lower limb or limbs.