The assessment of energy expenditure in subjects with cerebral palsy is of profound importance in recommending the optimum nutrition and keeping the good health. Due to the handicap of the subjects, their physical activity is restricted to a degree determined by the severeness and type of the disability.
　The purpose of this study is to estimate the mechanism of the trainability (possibility of training) and to design the optimal training programme by which the handicapped can acquire the higher level of the physical function. Oxygen intake during swimming programme was obtained from a cerebral palsy (CP) child. by means of Douglas bag method. Oxygen intake of a mild spastic subject who was unable to running was 0.753l/min during crawl stroke. There was significant correlation between oxygen intake and heart rate during swimming exercise. Maximum oxygen intake measured during treadmill walk (0.998l/min) was about 25% higher than the oxygen intake determined when the same CP child was swimming. Higher value for maximum oxygen intake (45ml/kg min) was obtained in CP's walk than in the same age of non-handicapped children (39ml/kg min from Matsui et al, 1974). The result indicated that higher oxygen intake due to swimming exercise for the CP child shoed significant effects on the improvement of physical fitness.

DESCENTE SPORTS SCIENCE Vol.2/THE DESCENTE AND ISHIMOTO MEMORIAL FOUNDATION FOR THE PROMOTION SPORTS SCIENCE