Abstract
Abstract Aim: This study aimed to compare the performance, metabolic, hemodynamic, and perceived exertion during the 6-minute step test (6MST) conducted with different step heights in healthy subjects and also to compare the performance between different age groups for each step height. The association between age, body mass index, level of physical activity, and lower limb measurements with performance were also evaluated. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measures, physical performance, and cardiovascular stress were evaluated during a self-paced 6MST with different step heights in healthy subjects in the age group of 18-59. All the participants underwent three-step tests (15 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm) on the same day, in a randomized order. Results: Forty participants (20 men and 20 women) performed the tests. The performance in the test for the highest step was significantly lower compared to the step with the lowest height (152 ± 24 vs. 173 ± 27 and 184 ± 33; p < 0,05). The estimated peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) increased by ∼2.5 mL.kg−1·min−1 with the increase in step height. Hemodynamic variables, such as percent of maximum heart rate (%HRmax), and systolic blood pressure increased as the step height increased. There was a fair correlation between performance and the level of physical activity in the test with a step height of 15 cm and 20 cm. Conclusion: A higher step height caused greater cardiovascular stress, without exceeding the submaximal levels of the test, indicating that the 6MST can be used as an accurate instrument for evaluating aerobic capacity in healthy individuals.
Highlights
In the rehabilitation process, the exercise capacity can be assessed by maximum or submaximal tests in both healthy individuals and clinical populations
Three people were excluded during screening, two due to body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2 and one who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease
The results indicate that the total number of climbed steps decreases with the increase in step height
Summary
The exercise capacity can be assessed by maximum or submaximal tests in both healthy individuals and clinical populations. Despite the original step test protocols that were developed to evaluate athletes and healthy individuals, its use has been validated in older adults and different clinical populations, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation[8,9,10,11,12,13]. The performance in the 6MST has been assessed with free-cadence aiming to represent the functional activities that people do in the normal course [and context] of their lives to meet the basic need, and it is usually performed at a level that does not require nor meet the maximal exercise capacity[23]. The effect of step height on the performance and physiological and perceptual response during the 6MST remains unclear. The association between age, body mass index, level of physical activity, and lower limb measurements with performance were evaluated
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