Reasons for Assessing Exercise Capacity

Assessing exercise capacity in pulmonary rehabilitation patients is important because it allows the coordinator to:

• Determine the level of functional impairment and activity limitation.
• Determine the factors that limit exercise capacity.
• Provide information that will guide exercise prescription.
• Identify oxygen desaturation during exercise and aid prescription of supplemental oxygen during training.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation in altering exercise capacity and exertional dyspnoea.