The primary objective was to evaluate the aerobic capacity of individuals with Down Syndrome (DS). A secondary objective was to explore the blood pressure parameters obtained through the cardiopulmonary exercise test.
This cross-sectional study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Institute of Health Sciences at the Federal University of Pará, approval number: 6.087.346. The research involved participants with Down Syndrome (DS), aged 18 years and older, of both genders, with low cardiovascular risk, independent ambulation, and no use of medications that could influence motor performance and heart rate. Age, gender, peak oxygen consumption (VO₂peak), respiratory exchange ratio, maximum heart rate (HRmax) at peak exercise, and resting, peak, and recovery blood pressure were evaluated. Measurements were obtained using a gas analyzer (Quark CPET™, COSMED, Rome, Italy) during the cardiopulmonary exercise test, following the validated protocol of Fernhall et al. (1993). Statistical analysis was conducted using Jamovi 2.3.21 software, with the Shapiro-Wilk test applied to assess data normality and Pearson correlation used to investigate potential correlations between gender and VO₂ and HRmax values.
Sixteen adults with Down Syndrome (DS) were evaluated (8 women and 7 men, mean age 23.9 ± 3.97 years). The majority of the participants (53.8%) achieved a respiratory exchange ratio greater than 1.0 at peak exercise. The mean relative VO₂peak was 21.6 ± 8.93 mL/min/kg, and the absolute VO₂peak was 1281 ± 655 mL/min. The maximum heart rate (HRmax) was 136 ± 23.3 bpm. The mean systolic blood pressure values were 101 ± 3.42 mmHg at rest, 131 ± 10.2 mmHg at peak exercise, and 117 ± 7.93 mmHg during recovery after 2 minutes, respectively. The mean diastolic blood pressure values were 67.5 ± 4.47 mmHg at rest, 83.8 ± 8.85 mmHg at peak exercise, and 75.0 ± 6.32 mmHg during recovery. No statistically significant associations were found between gender and the variables of relative VO₂peak (r = 0.26; p 0.316), absolute VO₂peak (r = 0.38; p 0.141), and HRmax (r = -0.09; p 0.731).
The mean VO₂peak value observed indicates a reduction in aerobic capacity among this population compared to normative values of VO₂peak, which range from 30 to 35 mL/kg/min in populations without Down Syndrome (DS). The chronotropic incompetence associated with the syndrome may have influenced the low HRmax values and the blood pressure responses related to maximal exercise.
The assessment of aerobic capacity facilitates the understanding of health status. The results aid in the prescription of physical exercise and enable rehabilitation and training programs to better meet the needs of this population.
VO₂peak
Down Syndrome
