title: Reproducibility of maximal exercise ergometer testing in patients with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exercise testing in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has become an important tool in assessing disease severity and predicting overall outcome. The reproducibility of maximal exercise testing was examined in adult subjects with stable CF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine subjects with CF underwent a total of three maximal exercise tests carried out under identical circumstances over a 28-day period. Oxygen uptake (VO2), minute ventilation (VE), respiratory frequency (f), heart rate (HR), and arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) were measured at rest, at end exercise, and at 40% and 70% of maximum workload.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in these measurements among the three tests. Reproducibility of exercise performance was assessed using the coefficient of variation. The mean within-subject coefficient of variation for test variables at end exercise are as follows: VO2, 6.9%; VE, 6.2%; f, 5.8%; IIR, 3.0%; and SaO2, 1.1%. The mean within-subject coefficient of variation for test variables at 40% and 70% of maximal work rates are as follows: VO2, 5.2% and 4.6%; SaO2, 0.3% and 0.9%; HR, 4.0% and 3%; VE, 5.7% and 6.5%; and f, 5.8% and 7.2%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Variables measured during clinical cycle ergometer exercise testing in adult patients with stable CF are reproducible. No learning effect was found on repeated testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: McKone
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: FitzGerald
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Gallagher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012119:Respiration; D012720:Severity of Illness Index