ABSTRACT
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a simple, non-invasive field test, it is a widely used clinical tool to assess exercise capacity and functional performance in individuals with various cardiopulmonary conditions. It is also increasingly being used to assess exercise capacity in healthy individuals, although more research has been done in pathophysiology conditions than in healthy conditions hence this study. The 6MWT involves measuring the distance that a person can walk in 6 minutes at a self-selected pace on a flat, hard surface. While sex-related differences in pulmonary function have been documented, the influence of gender on 6MWT outcomes remains a subject of considerable research interest. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate and compare the effects of 6MWT on pulmonary function between young healthy male and female individuals. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on a diverse sample of 104 participants aged 18–27 years, comprising 52 males and 52 females. All participants underwent a comprehensive baseline evaluation, including spirometry, body composition assessment, and a pre-test health questionnaire. The 6MWT was conducted according to established guidelines with standardized instructions, and spirometry was repeated immediately after the test three times for accuracy. The data was analyzed using Graph-Pad Prism 8.1 software and a student t-test. The results were presented as mean + SEM, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results from this study revealed several significant findings. Firstly, males displayed higher baseline values for pulmonary function parameters, including forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), etc. compared to females. Interestingly, post-test spirometry measurements showed that both males and females experienced no significant increase in FVC and PEF, etc. immediately following the test. Correlational analysis demonstrated no significant correlation between the distance covered by both male and female participants and their pulmonary function; rather, it showed a significant increase in pulmonary function parameters in males when compared with females. In conclusion, with the result obtained from this study, it was observed that the 6-minute walk test has no significant effect on pulmonary function test parameters (such as FVC, PEF, FEF, etc.) in males when compared to females; rather, the differences observed could be due to gender-related differences. However, Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms responsible for these gender-related difference.
