Normative values for cardiopulmonary exercise testing in the pediatric population—an updated systematic review

AIMS: Normative data for cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) provide benchmarks of aerobic fitness that change throughout the lifespan, with new scaling techniques often developed and differing between adults and children/adolescents. Considering the recent interest in the pediatric population for CPET studies, this systematic review aimed to update pediatric-specific CPET reference values. METHODS AND RESULTS: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines from February 1, 2019, to December 31, 2025, from 6 scientific databases. Observational studies in any language, presenting data from maximal CPET, and conducted only on healthy participants