Reference Equation for the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test in Children and Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Exercise Physiology
• Clinical Exercise Testing
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• The incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) is a valuable tool for assessing exercise capacity.
• Establishing reliable prediction equations is crucial for interpreting ISWT results in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a prediction equation for the distance walked during the ISWT in healthy children and adolescents.
• To assess the reliability of the ISWT in this age group.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study included 108 healthy participants aged 6–18 years.
• Two ISWTs were conducted with continuous monitoring of heart rate and SpO2.
• Dyspnea and lower limb fatigue were assessed using the Borg scale.

Main Results:

• A prediction equation was derived using age, sex, and body mass index: ISWTpred = 845.559 + (sex * 193.265) + (age * 47.850) - (body mass index * 26.179).
• Boys achieved longer distances than girls (P < .0001).
• The ISWT demonstrated excellent reliability (0.98) and agreement between tests.

Conclusions:

• A novel prediction equation for ISWT distance in children and adolescents has been established.
• The ISWT is a reliable and repeatable maximal-effort field test for assessing exercise capacity in this demographic.
• This equation serves as a valuable reference for clinical and research applications.