Cardiorespiratory fitness assessment and prediction of peak oxygen consumption by Incremental Shuttle Walking Test in healthy women

INTRODUCTION: Preliminary studies have showed that the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test (ISWT) is a maximal test, however comparison between ISWT with the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CEPT) has not yet performed in the healthy woman population. Furthermore, there is no regression equation available in the current literature to predict oxygen peak consumption (VO(2) peak). Thus, this study aimed to compare the ISWT with CEPT and to develop an equation to predict peak oxygen uptake (VO(2) peak) in healthy women participants. METHODS: First, the VO(2) peak, respiratory exchange ratio (R peak), heart rate max (HR max) and percentage of predicted HR max (% predicted HR max) were evaluated in the CEPT and ISWT (n = 40). Then, an equation was developed to predict the VO(2) peak (n = 54) and its validation was performed (n = 20). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the ISWT and CEPT of VO(2) peak, HR max and % predicted HR max values (P>0.05), except for R peak measure in the ISWT (1.22 ± 0.13) and CEPT (1.18 ± 0.1) (P = 0.022). Therefore, both tests showed a moderate positive correlation of VO(2) peak (r = 0.51; P = 0.0007), HR max (r = 0.65; P<0.0001) and R peak (r = 0.55; P = 0.0002) and the Bland-Altman analysis showed agreement of VO(2) peak (bias = -0.14). The distance walked on ISWT and age explained 36.3% (R(2) Adjusted = 0.363) of the variance in VO(2) peak. The equation developed was VO(2) peak (predicted) = 19.793 + (0.02 x distance walked)—(0.236 x age). There was no statistically significant difference between the VO(2) peak measured directly and the predicted, and the Bland-Altman analysis showed agreement (bias = 1.5 ml/kg/min). CONCLUSION: ISWT is a maximal test showing similar results compared to the CEPT, and the predicted equation was valid and applicable for VO(2) peak assessing in young adult healthy women.