To study the oxygen uptake capacity, the arm crank ergometer test was administered at three different loads, 25, 37-5 and 50 W, on seven severely disabled subjects, and their cardiorespiratory responses were compared to that of nine normal subjects (work loads, 25, 50 and 75 W). Values of V0 2 of the disabled subjects corresponding to heart rates of 150 and 180 beats min -1 were significantly lower than those of the normal subjects, when expressed in 1 min -1 but disappear when the results are expressed in ml kg min -1 . The observations indicate a reduced work capacity and a capacity for increasing the stroke volume of the disabled subjects. © 1984 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.