The relationship between relative aerobic load, energy cost, and speed of walking in individuals post-stroke

Background: Individuals post-stroke walk slower than their able-bodied peers, which limits participation. This might be attributed to neurological impairments, but could also be caused by a mismatch between aerobic capacity and aerobic load of walking leading to an unsustainable relative aerobic load at most economic speed and preference for a lower walking speed. Research question: What is the impact of aerobic capacity and aerobic load of walking on walking ability poststroke? Methods: Forty individuals post-stroke (more impaired N = 21; preferred walking speed (PWS