Two-minute exercise testing is sufficient to estimate maximal cardiorespiratory fitness in people with epilepsy

Natan Feter; César A Häfele; Júlia Cassuriaga; Emily C Smith; Vítor Häfele; Lucas Rosseto; Jeff S Coombes; Airton J Rombaldi; Marcelo C da Silva

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108086

Two-minute exercise testing is sufficient to estimate maximal cardiorespiratory fitness in people with epilepsy

Epilepsy Behav. 2021 Aug;121(Pt A):108086. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108086. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

Authors

Natan Feter¹, César A Häfele², Júlia Cassuriaga², Emily C Smith³, Vítor Häfele², Lucas Rosseto⁴, Jeff S Coombes³, Airton J Rombaldi², Marcelo C da Silva²

Affiliations

¹ School of Physical Education, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil; Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health - Researchers, The University of Queensland, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: n.feter@uq.edu.au.
² School of Physical Education, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
³ Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health - Researchers, The University of Queensland, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Australia.
⁴ School of Medicine, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

PMID: 34111765
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108086

Abstract

We aimed to examine the agreement between submaximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) measures and peak oxygen consumption (VO_2peak) in adults with epilepsy. Data from a randomized controlled trial with adults with epilepsy (N = 21) were analyzed. VO_2peak was assessed using indirect calorimetry during a treadmill graded maximal CPET. Oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) was calculated from the relationship between oxygen uptake and minute ventilation during the entire test (OUES_peak) and the first 2 (OUES_2min), 3 (OUES_3min), and 4 (OUES_4min) minutes of the CPET. The strength of the association between measures was tested by Pearson correlation. Linear regression models were used to predict VO_2peak based on OUES from the different testing durations. Agreement between measured and predicted maximal values was tested using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots. OUES_2min, OUES_3min, and OUES_4min were highly associated with absolute (r = 0.84, r = 0.76, r = 0.75, respectively) and relative (r = 0.84, r = 0.78, r = 0.78, respectively) VO_2peak. Agreement (ICC = 0.83) between CPET-measured and OUES-predicted VO_2peak values was stronger with OUES_2min than the other time-based OUES markers. Bland-Altman plot showed satisfactory agreement between predicted and measured CPET measures with the narrowest limits of agreement observed with the OUES_2min. No potential bias was identified between these two measurements (p = 0.33). Changes in absolute (r = 0.77) and relative (r = 0.88) VO₂peak were highly associated with the change in OUES_2min. OUES_2min can be used as a surrogate for maximal cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with epilepsy. Studies with larger samples size are encouraged to confirm our findings in a more heterogeneous population.

Keywords: Cardiorespiratory fitness; Epilepsy; Exercise test.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cardiorespiratory Fitness*
Epilepsy*
Exercise Test
Humans
Oxygen Consumption

Associated data

ReBec/RBR-8h4dty