Method ological factors affecting 6MWD include track length , encouragement , supplemental oxygen and walking aids .
Supplemental oxygen also affects ISWT and ESWT performance .
Responsiveness was moderate to high for all tests , with greater responsiveness to interventions that included exercise training .
The findings of this review demonstrate that the 6MWT , ISWT and ESWT are robust tests of functional exercise capacity in adults with chronic respiratory disease
This systematic review examined the measurement properties of the 6-min walk test ( 6MWT ) , incremental shuttle walk test ( ISWT ) and endurance shuttle walk test ( ESWT ) in adults with chronic respiratory disease .
Exertional oxygen of limited benefit in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and mild hypoxemia.
It is unclear whether short-term benefits from supplemental oxygen translate into improved quality of life in patients with severe COPD . In a 12 wk double-blind r and omized crossover study , we assessed the effects of supplemental air and oxygen on exercise performance ( step tests and 6 min walking distance [ 6MWD ] ) initially and after two 6 wk periods at home using exertional cylinder air or oxygen . We measured quality of life at baseline and after the two 6 wk domiciliary periods . The 26 patients ( 24 males ) had a mean age of 73 + /- 6 yr ; mean FEV1 , 0.9 + /- 0.4 L ; mean DLCO , 10.6 + /- 2.4 ml/min/mm Hg ; mean resting PO2 , 69 + /- 8.5 ( range 58 to 82 ) mm Hg ; mean PCO2 , 41 + /- 3.3 mm Hg ; and mean resting SaO2 , 94 + /- 2.1 ( mean + /- SD ) . Laboratory tests were performed breathing intranasal air or oxygen at 4 L/min , and measurements were made of SaO2 and Borg dysnea scores .  Supplemental oxygen increased 6MWD and steps by small , statistically significant increments acutely at baseline and after 6 and 12 wk , without corresponding falls in Borg score . Degree of desaturation at baseline did not correlate with increase in 6MWD or steps achieved at baseline or at 6 or 12 wk , nor with the domiciliary gas used . There was no difference in 6MWD or steps achieved while breathing supplemental oxygen after 6 wk of domiciliary oxygen compared with domiciliary air . Small improvements in quality of life indices were found after domiciliary oxygen , and mastery also improved after domiciliary air . There were no differences in quality of life , however , when domiciliary oxygen was compared with domiciliary air . Although oxygen supplementation induced small acute increments in laboratory exercise performance , such improvements had little impact on the patients ' daily lives
Method ological factors affecting 6MWD include track length , encouragement , supplemental oxygen and walking aids .
Supplemental oxygen also affects ISWT and ESWT performance .
Responsiveness was moderate to high for all tests , with greater responsiveness to interventions that included exercise training .
The findings of this review demonstrate that the 6MWT , ISWT and ESWT are robust tests of functional exercise capacity in adults with chronic respiratory disease
This systematic review examined the measurement properties of the 6-min walk test ( 6MWT ) , incremental shuttle walk test ( ISWT ) and endurance shuttle walk test ( ESWT ) in adults with chronic respiratory disease .