The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise overflow in hemiplegic patients. Eleven subjects with a diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) performed active exercises with their uninvolved extremities while their involved extremities were monitored with EMG. The muscles monitored were the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and quadriceps femoris. Active exercise of the comparable uninvolved muscles was performed under three different weight lifting conditions: (1) maximal weight, (2) 50% of the maximal weight, and (3) no weight. Significant (p < 0.05) overflow to the involved nonexercised extremities was found in all of the exercise conditions. Overflow was frequently found in all three muscle groups when only one muscle group was being exercised. Overflow always occurred in the contralateral homologous muscle. Exercise overflow appears to be an effective therapeutic technique to facilitate muscle activity in paretic muscles. This muscle activity may cause desired or undesired muscular effects during therapy in the rehabilitation of patients with CVAs.

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