Six-Minute Walking Test to Assess Exercise Tolerance and Cardiorespiratory Responses During Training Program in Children With Congenital Heart Disease

W. Moalla; R. Gauthier; Y. Maingourd; S. Ahmaidi

doi:10.1055/s-2004-830558

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2005; 26(9): 756-762
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-830558

Training & Testing

Six-Minute Walking Test to Assess Exercise Tolerance and Cardiorespiratory Responses During Training Program in Children With Congenital Heart Disease

W. Moalla¹ , R. Gauthier² , Y. Maingourd¹ ^, ² , S. Ahmaidi¹

¹EA 3300 - APS et Conduites Motrices: Adaptations et Réadaptations, Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens Cedex, France
²Services d'Explorations Cardio-Pulmonaires Pédiatriques, Hôpital Nord, Amiens Cedex, France

Abstract

This study assessed the exercise tolerance and the cardiorespiratory responses to a training program by the six-minute walk test (6'WT) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Seventeen cardiac and 14 healthy children performed maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and 6'WT. Reliability of 6'WT was assessed in all subjects (test-retest) by Bland-Altman plots. Cardiac subjects were randomly divided in training (T-CHD) and control groups (C-CHD). T-CHD underwent an individualized training exercise at the ventilatory threshold (VT) intensity during 12 weeks. We found that the 6'WT is a reliable and reproducible test. CHD children walked a lower distance than healthy children before training (472.5 ± 18.1 vs. 548.8 ± 7.7 m, respectively, p < 0.001). Likewise, power output, oxygen uptake (V·O₂), and heart rate (HR) at the maximum and the VT levels, were significantly lower in patients (p < 0.001). After training, a significant improvement of walking distance (WD) was shown in T-CHD (529.6 ± 15.3 vs. 467.7 ± 17.1 m, p < 0.001). The power output, V·O₂, HR, and V·E increased slightly (6 to 10 %, p > 0.05) at peak exercise and significantly at ventilatory threshold level (p < 0.05) in T-CHD. Significant relationships between WD and V·O_2max as well as V·O₂ at VT were founded (p < 0.05). We concluded that the 6'WT is a useful and reliable tool in the assessment and follow-up of functional capacity during rehabilitation program in children with CHD.

Key words

Six minute walk test - children - training - congenital heart disease

Full Text

References

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S. Ahmaidi

Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Campus Universitaire le Bailly

Allée P. Grousset

80025 Amiens Cedex

France

Phone: + 33322827903

Fax: + 33 3 22 82 79 10

Email: said.ahmaidi@u-picardie.fr