A validation of the 10-meter incremental shuttle walk test as a measure of aerobic power in cardiac and rheumatoid arthritis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To validate a simple, clinically relevant, and inexpensive test of aerobic power-the 10-meter incremental shuttle walk test (SWT)--in 2 separate patient populations.


METHODS
Two-sample validity study.


METHODS
Physiotherapy department of major hospital in the United Kingdom.


METHODS
Convenience samples of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (n = 10) and cardiac patients (n = 10).


METHODS
Subjects were attached to a portable respiratory gas analyzer to measure oxygen uptake. They walked around an oval 10-meter course, starting at 0.5m/s, with velocity gradually increased by .17m/s increments for as long as they could, for up to 12 minutes.


METHODS
A subject's maximal rate of oxygen uptake during exercise (V(O)(2)max) established with linear extrapolation was regressed against the number of shuttles completed (distance walked). An earlier study (n = 28) showed high levels of reliability and validity with linear extrapolation.


RESULTS
No significant linear relationship was found between V(O)(2)max and the number of shuttles completed (R(2); RA subjects = 9.7%, cardiac subjects = .03%, p > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
These results do not support use of the SWT as a representative measure of aerobic power. Despite this finding, the advantages of developing a clinically viable alternative to costly laboratory testing warrants further study of the SWT in patient groups.
Macsween
A
A
Dept of Physiotherapy, Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. amacsween@qmuc.ac.uk
Johnson
N J
NJ
Armstrong
G
G
Bonn
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*
D010100:Oxygen