Six-minute walking test to assess exercise tolerance in Tunisian obese adolescents over two-months individualized program training

Objective. -We used the six-minute walk test (6'WT) to examine the exercise tolerance in obese adolescents following a two-month individualized training program. Synthesis. -Twenty obese adolescents participated in three different protocols: (1) diet restriction (G 1), (2) physical training (G2), (3) association diet + training (G3). Results demonstrate that this program induced a reduction of fat mass (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) with a conservation of lean mass in all groups. This reduction is greater in G I and G3 than in G2. It was also noted a reduction of the heart rate (HR) and of the dyspnea and an increase of the walked distance (WD) during the 6'WT (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01), particularly in G3. Therefore the 6'WT is a useful means for the assessment of the organism tolerance to exercise. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.