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 .
Comparison of hallway and treadmill six-minute walk tests.
The 6-min walk test ( SMWT ) performed in the hallway ( HW ) is used as a clinical indicator of functional capacity in patients with lung disease . A 6-min walk test utilizing a treadmill ( TM ) is easier to perform and allows easier patient monitoring . Therefore , we formulated a st and ardized TM SMWT protocol and compared the results with those of a HW SMWT .  All patients were enrolled in a pulmonary rehabilitation program . Patients with current infection , recent change in inhaled medications or oral steroid use , and significant cardiovascular disease were excluded . Each subject performed three HW SMWTs and three TM SMWTs assigned r and omly on subsequent days . There was a 30-min rest between each walk and at least a 48-h rest between each test day . All patients completed both HW and TM SMWT within 7 d. Supplemental oxygen was utilized or increased if the saturation fell below 88 % . The best of the three tests was used for data analysis . Twenty-one subjects completed the protocol . The mean age was 65 + /- 10.9 yr ( range , 35 to 79 yr ) . Ten subjects were receiving supplemental oxygen . The mean FEV(1 ) was 1.07 + /- 0.53 L. The mean HW SMWT distance was 1,228 + /- 255 ft ( range , 612 to 1,679 ft ) and the mean TM SMWT distance was 1,060 + /- 389 ft ( range , 475 to 1,819 ft ) , which were statistically different ( p = 0.01 ) . The mean difference was 168 + /- 280 ft ( range , -326 to 743 ft ) . Oxygen saturation and supplemental oxygen requirements did not differ significantly . The intra-test variability of the three HW SMWTs was similar to the three TM SMWTs and no significant difference in the coefficient of variation was found . A st and ardized TM SMWT is feasible and allows easier patient monitoring , but there is a statistically significant difference between the HW and TM SMWT distance and therefore they are not interchangeable . However , the intratest reproducibility of the TM and HW SMWTs are similar when three walks are performed in a single test session . The role of the TM SMWT in pulmonary rehabilitation requires further exploration
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 .