RELATIVE AEROBIC LOAD OF DAILY ACTIVITIES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH LOWER LIMB AMPUTATION: A PILOT STUDY

This protocol enables the assessment of relative aerobic load in a heterogeneous group of individuals with LLA and highlights the importance of individualized assessment. Given the large variability in <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi></mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> peak and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow><mml:mover><mml:mi>V</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi></mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> -VT₁ between participants, a generic level of physiological burden for each task cannot be given, instead individualized assessment is crucial to accurately determine physiological burden and avoid under- or overestimation of exercise intensity. The findings support the development of individualized rehabilitation programs tailored to individual capabilities and limitations, potentially improving participation and quality of life. Additionally, future studies with larger cohorts are needed to provide more robust reliability estimates and strengthen the generalizability of these findings.