Sports Physiotherapy in

Mental Retardation
Mental Retardation
• As d~fined by the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) and
endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association, 'Mental retardation refers
to significantly SUBAVERAGE GENERAL INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING existing
concurrently with deficits in ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOUR and manifested during the
developmental period' (American Psychiatric Association 1990; Grossman
1973, 1977, 1983).
• IQ of 70 or below on a standardised measure of intelligence.
• the effectiveness or degree with which an individual meets the standards of
personal independence and social responsibility expected for age and cultural
group 3 categories: maturation, learning capacity and social adjustment
• from conception to 18 years of age.
Body Composition of Individuals with
Mental Retardation
• Obese: it increases the risk of early onset of such diseases as
hypertension and adult onset diabetes mellitus). Living arrangements
(i.e. institution vs smaller residences) play a role in the prevalence of
obesity.
• Some found a strong inverse relationship between IQ and adiposity,
others found direct relationship
• caloric restriction, exercise, and a combination of diet and exercise,
have had a varied outcome.
• Behavioural therapy, parental involvement
• Exercise: walking , circuit training , running , cycle ergometry
Cardiovascular capacity
• fitness levels of MR
representative of a very sedentary
population.
• 2 cardiovascular training
regimens have been reported
• a stationary bicycle routine using
the Schwinn ‘Air-Dyne’
ergometer and
• a run/walk programme:
• Exercises only when they agreed to
• 3 days/week for 16 weeks , 3min warm up 3 min cool down
• Duration of the aerobic portion of the exercise session began at 12 min
and increased 1 min every week until a duration of 25 min was attained.
Maximal duration of the aerobic portion was kept at 25 min
• he participant was instructed to exercise at a work intensity (i.e. 2.0 on
the exercise dial gauge, which is approximately 100W) expected to
produce heart rates at 50 to 70% of their peak ,,"02 as determined by
pretraining laboratory tests on both the treadmill and SAE. Intensity was
increased as the programme progressed: 50% for weeks 1 to 2; 60% for
weeks 3 to 12; and 70% for weeks 13 to 16. The average training heart
rate was 141 beats/min, which represented heart rates at 61 % of
peak ,,"02 as determined by pretraining laboratory tests
• (1) body strength is valuable for recreation activities and activities of
daily living;
• (2) competence in upper body muscular skills is a prerequisite for
many available vocational opportunities; and
• (3) positive correlations have been established between muscular
strength and industrial work performance in people with mental
retardation.