Effects of Knee-extensor Exercise Training in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Status: Completed

Conditions: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Treatments: Behavioral: High intensity knee-extensor training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01079221

42009297

Details and patient eligibility

About

COPD patients have a reduced exercise tolerance due to a ventilatory limitation.

Several studies have shown altered skeletal muscle function. The investigator will study the physiological response to knee-extensor exercise in COPD patients.

Full description

Reduced exercise tolerance is one of the hallmarks of COPD. The principal causes for exercise intolerance are ventilatory limitation leading to deconditioning and inactivity. However the weak correlation between exercise capacity and FEV1 implies that other factors than reduced pulmonary function contribute to this impairment as well. Several studies have found changes in skeletal muscle, with fibre shift, increased oxidative stress, increased inflammatory cytokines and impaired mitochondrial function, suggesting a lower limb dysfunction.

Numerous exercise studies in COPD patients have shown physiological and physiological benefits of training and endurance training is now regarded as an important part in pulmonary rehabilitation.

In this study we investigate training effects in patients with moderate to severe COPD with special focus on skeletal muscle.

COPD patients will perform high intensity aerobic interval knee-extensor exercise training 3 days/week for six weeks . At baseline and follow-up, muscle oxygen consumption and mitochondrial respiration will be measured.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• COPD diagnosis with FEV1<70% exp, FEV1%FVC <70 %
• Age> 50 years

Exclusion criteria

• Heart failure
• Symptomatic coronary artery disease
• Cancer
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Severe mental illness
• Lower respiratory illness
• Participation in exercise- or lung rehabilitation program last 3 months
• pregnancy
• oral steroid use

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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12 participants in 1 patient group

Knee extensor exercise training

Experimental group

Description:

High intensity aerobic knee-extensor exercise training

Treatment:

Behavioral: High intensity knee-extensor training