Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPX)
The CPX was performed on an electromagnetic cycle ergometer (Medfit 400L, Medical Fitness Equipment, Maarn, Netherlands), following a ramp protocol, with a speed of 60 revolutions per minute (rpm) and workload increments from 10w to 20w per minute, until achieving physical exhaustion. Participants were connected to a valve and trachea system (Vmax Spectra Series, SensorMedics Corp, Yorba Linda, CA, USA) where pulmonary ventilation (PV), O2 and CO2concentrations were measured with calculation of oxygen consumption (VO2) and CO2 production. When the patient achieved exhaustion, the anaerobic threshold (AT) and respiratory compensation point (RCP) were determined, both used to prescribe the intensity of physical training.