[Purpose] The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is increasingly being used as an important tool
for analyzing functional capacity in patients with multisystem disorders. The aim of this
study was to evaluate the effect of body composition, peripheral muscle function, and
pulmonary function on the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) in acromegalic patients.
[Subjects and Methods] Thirty-two patients with active acromegaly, with a mean age of 48.6
± 12.1 years, underwent an evaluation of body composition using electrical bioimpedance,
isometric dynamometry with surface electromyography, tests of pulmonary function, and the
6MWT. [Results] The mean ± SD values for the 6MWD, fat-free mass (FFM), and maximal
expiratory pressure (MEP) were 65.5 ± 11.7% predicted, 55.1 ± 10.6 kg, and 55.2 ± 16.8%
predicted, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the 6MWD and the
following parameters: the angle of the linear regression line obtained using the values of
the median frequency electromyography signal over time during the fatigability test for
the vastus medialis muscle (MDF, r=0.65), FFM (r=0.62), MEP (r=0.60),
height(2)/resistance index (r=0.52), resistance (r=−0.50), and forced
expiratory volume in 1 second (r=0.50). Multivariate analysis showed that MDF, FFM, and
MEP were independent predictors of the 6MWD (R2=0.52). [Conclusion] The
fatigability of the peripheral muscles, FFM, and MEP are the primary determinants of the
6MWD in acromegalics.