Comparação das respostas fisiológicas entre dois testes de carga constante: cicloergômetro e degrau

Abstract

Introduction: The six-minute walk test (TC6) and shuttle walk test (SWT) are widely used for the assessment of functional capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), however their execution may be limited by physical space. In this context, the step test has the facility of being able to be applied in any environment, including the home. However, there are no studies in the literature with constant load tests using the step and its physiological responses. Objectives: 1) to compare the physiological responses between the constant load tests on the cycle ergometer and the endurance step test 2) to establish the determinants of the performance obtained in the TDE, 3) to test the reproducibility of the TDE. Method: 19 patients with COPD performed spirometry, incremental and constant load test on cycle ergometer, bioimpedance to obtain muscle mass and incremental step test (TDI), responded to the Modified Medical Research Council modified dyspnea scale (MRCm) and the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Leg length was also evaluated and a maximal repetition test was performed. The TDE was performed with 80% of the number of steps obtained in the TDI. This should last for three to eight minutes. If the test time was less than three minutes, the TDE was again performed with 70% of the number of TDI steps. If the TDE was greater than eight minutes, the TDE was performed with a 90% load. Results: there was no difference between the metabolic and ventilatory responses between the TDE and the constant load test in cycle ergometer. No correlation was found between the performance of the TDE with the degree of airway obstruction, mass and quadriceps muscle strength. The time of TDE 90% was shown to be better reproducible compared to TDE 80%. Conclusion: the endurance step test provokes metabolic and ventilatory responses equated to the constant load test on cycle ergometer.