Sports medicine and the physiology of wheelchair marathon racing.

In the past three decades, wheelchair sports have become an international reality. Disabled athletes are exercising their right to accept the challenges and risks taken by able-bodied athletes. Marathon racing over a 26-mile, 385-yard course is the latest and most strenuous of the wheelchair athletic events. The small amount of available research data on wheelchair sports has been summarized, as well as some relevant data from exercise physiology studies on able-bodied subjects. Physicians and other health professionals who work with disabled people should be knowledgeable about the risks and benefits of wheelchair sports. Much more basic research is needed to improve the safety, training techniques, and performance of wheelchair athletes.