During strengthening for post-polio, use light resistance and perform approximately what percentage of normal repetitions?

• A. 100%
• B. 75%
• C. 50%
• D. 25%

Answer: (C)

In post-polio strengthening, the goal is to improve strength without overworking already vulnerable motor units. Because muscles that were affected by polio may fatigue quickly and recover more slowly, training should be submaximal and protective. Using light resistance and about half the number of repetitions you’d normally perform provides enough stimulus for strength gains while minimizing fatigue and the risk of overuse weakness. If you typically do a higher number of repetitions, cutting that roughly in half keeps the effort in a safer, sustainable range for these muscles. Using the full normal repetitions or pushing closer to maximal effort would increase fatigue and risk of further weakness, while doing too few repetitions might not provide enough stimulus to elicit gains.