Functional Capacity
Both 5STS-test and MSWT were performed twice on the same day (test and
retest), with an interval of 30 minutes between them. The 5STS-test was
performed with the subject sitting on a chair with his arms crossed over
his chest. The patient should perform five movements of getting up and
sitting down as quickly as possible. The height of the chair was
adjusted to reach the angle of flexion of the hips and knees at 90ยบ and
feet flat on the floor. The test outcome was the execution time in
seconds (s).18
The MSWT was performed in a 10 m long corridor according to the original
description19. It is a test externally paced by an
audible signal, in which the speed increases every minute, varying from
1.79 to 10.2 km / h.20 The test ends when the
volunteer is unable to follow the speed or needs to stop the test due to
fatigue, dyspnea or when SpO2 remains below 82%. The
outcome is the distance walked in meters and the percentage of the
predicted value.21
The order of the tests (MSWT and 5STS-test) was randomized. Heart rate
(HR), dyspnea and lower limb fatigue (modified Borg
scale22) were assessed at the beginning and at the end
of all the tests.