Reasons for Assessing Exercise Capacity
Assessing exercise capacity in PR patients is important because it allows the health professional 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. (please refer to assess for O2 supplementation:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation in altering exercise capacity and exertional dyspnoea.