Demographic/anthropometric factors and physiological performance-related parameters associated with the six-minute walk test in bariatric surgery candidates, from Valdivia, Chile

The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is widely used to measure functional capacity in special populations. However, the factors associated with its performance in candidates for bariatric surgery are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of anthropometric and physiological factors in the 6MWT performance in bariatric surgery candidates. This cross-sectional study included 107 candidates for bariatric surgery. Anthropometric factors considered: gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip, and waist-to-height ratios. Along with distance covered during 6MWT, physiological factors such as ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate reserve percentage used (%HRR) were recorded. Among the 107 patients (mean age: 39.6 years), 83 volunteers were accepted to perform the 6MWT. No gender differences were observed in terms of distance covered, %HRR, and RPE during the 6MWT. Moreover, BMI and %HRR explained 21% of the 6MWT distance covered. Furthermore, participants with BMI ≤41.5 kg/m2 walked ~50 meters more than their peers above this level (p=0.05). Interestingly, heart rate increase during the 6MWT was lower than described for healthy populations. BMI and %HRR partially explain the variability of the 6MWT performance in bariatric surgery candidates.