Effect of the 6-minute walk test on plantar loading and capability to produce ankle plantar flexion forces

•The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is a common tool to evaluate ambulatory capacity.•Post-6MWT changes in ankle plantar flexion force and posture were never studied.•A pedobarographic platform was used to measure posture changes.•6MWT reduced ankle plantar flexion force and increased CoP deviations.•Post-6MWT alterations of posture could result from an altered sensorimotor control.

The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is used to evaluate the ambulatory capacity of patients suffering from respiratory disorders, obesity or neuromuscular diseases. Our primary aim was to evaluate the effects of the 6MWT on the postural sway and the ankle plantar flexion forces in healthy subjects.We measured the ankle plantar flexion forces and the plantar contact area before and after a 6MWT in normal weight and overweight subjects with no history of respiratory, cardiac, and neuromuscular disorders. A post-6MWT sensation of bodily fatigue was evaluated by Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) and Pichot fatigue scales. A computerized pedobarographic platform was used to collect the mean plantar contact area, the changes of the center of pressure (CoP) surface and its medial and lateral deviations. In a limited number of subjects, the reproducibility of all the measurements was explored.In both groups, the 6MWT elicited a sensation of bodily fatigue. It also significantly reduced the ankle plantar flexion forces, and increased both the mean plantar contact area and the CoP surface, the changes being not apparent after 10 min. The post-6MWT lateral CoP deviations were accentuated in normal weight subjects, while an increase in medial CoP deviations occurred in overweight ones. The 6MWT-induced changes in the plantar flexion force and pedobarographic variables were reproducible.Because this study clearly showed some post-6MWT alterations of the subjects' posture sway of our subjects, we questioned the possible mechanisms occurring that could explain the altered muscle force and the transient destabilization of posture after the 6MWT.