Good repeatability ( for the 6MWT and ESWT ) and reproducibility ( for the 6MWT , 12-minute walk test , ISWT , ESWT , and incremental cycle ergometer test ) were reported by most studies assessing these tests , providing patients were familiarized with them beforeh and .
The 6MWT , ISWT , and particularly the ESWT were reported to be sensitive to therapeutic intervention .
Exercise tests are often used to evaluate the functional status of patients with COPD .
However , to the best of our knowledge , a comprehensive systematic comparison of these tests has not been performed .
We systematic ally review ed studies reporting the repeatability and /or reproducibility of these tests , and studies comparing their sensitivity to therapeutic intervention .
Walking versus cycling: sensitivity to bronchodilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
RATIONALE There is no consensus regarding which exercise test to use to evaluate the functional impact of bronchodilators in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . OBJECTIVE AND METHODS Bronchodilator-induced changes in endurance time were evaluated during cycling and walking in 17 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who completed two cycle endurance tests and two endurance shuttle walks at 80 % of peak capacity . Each endurance test was preceded by the nebulization of a placebo or 500 microg of ipratropium bromide using a r and omized , double-blind , crossover design . Quadriceps twitch force was measured with magnetic stimulation of the femoral nerve before and after each endurance test . RESULTS Cycling endurance time did not improve significantly after bronchodilation despite a significant increase in FEV1 ( delta endurance time ipratropium bromide - placebo : 51 + /- 255 s , p = 0.42 ) . A similar change in FEV1 was associated with a significant improvement in walking endurance time ( delta endurance time ipratropium bromide - placebo : 164 + /- 177 s , p < 0.01 ) . A 22 + /- 17 % fall in quadriceps twitch force was observed after cycling , whereas no significant change was seen after walking . CONCLUSION The endurance shuttle walk is a sensitive test to detect changes in exercise tolerance after bronchodilation . Differences in the occurrence of quadriceps muscle fatigue may explain , in part , the different responsiveness to change between cycling and walking
Good repeatability ( for the 6MWT and ESWT ) and reproducibility ( for the 6MWT , 12-minute walk test , ISWT , ESWT , and incremental cycle ergometer test ) were reported by most studies assessing these tests , providing patients were familiarized with them beforeh and .
The 6MWT , ISWT , and particularly the ESWT were reported to be sensitive to therapeutic intervention .
Exercise tests are often used to evaluate the functional status of patients with COPD .
However , to the best of our knowledge , a comprehensive systematic comparison of these tests has not been performed .
We systematic ally review ed studies reporting the repeatability and /or reproducibility of these tests , and studies comparing their sensitivity to therapeutic intervention .