HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (13) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Coronell, C. Articles by Gea, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Coronell, C. Articles by Gea, J.

Relevance of assessing quadriceps endurance in patients with COPD

¹ Muscle and Respiratory Research Unit, Municipal Institute of Medical Research, Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital del Mar, CEXS-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Catalonia, and ² Unit of Respiratory Pathology, Cruces Hospital, Baracaldo, Basque Country, Spain

CORRESPONDENCE: M. Orozco-Levi, Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital del Mar, Passeig Maritim 25–27, Barcelona 08003, Spain. Fax: 34 932213237. E-mail: morozco@imim.es

Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, endurance, lower limb muscles, strength, weakness

Received: July 9, 2003
Accepted February 25, 2004

This study was supported by Red Respira (RTIC C03/11, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Sociedad Española de Neumología Cirugía Torácia, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España, Grant Code 72.129.052.

The aims of this study were to investigate whether the impairment in endurance of limb muscles is a general finding in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, affecting even those with mild-to-moderate disease or relatively normal physical activity. In addition, this study aimed to determine the physiopathology of exhaustion in local endurance tests and whether the reduction in quadriceps endurance can be predicted from muscle strength measurements.

A total of 75 volunteers were assigned to one of two groups according to pulmonary function tests: COPD patients or healthy age-matched controls. Functional assessment included both quadriceps strength (maximum voluntary contraction (Q_MVC)), and quadriceps endurance (contractions against a load equivalent to 10% Q_MVC until task failure or for up to a limiting time of 30 min (Q_Tlim)).

COPD patients showed a decrease of 43% in Q_MVC and 77% in Q_Tlim compared with controls. Task failure occurred only in COPD patients and was due to muscle fatigue, since limiting symptoms were associated with a decrease in the median frequency of quadriceps electromyographical signal and a reversible decrease in Q_MVC. The impairment in skeletal muscle endurance was present even in patients with mild-to-moderate airflow obstruction and individuals with relatively normal physical activity, and was irrespective of lung function variables, anthropometrical data or quadriceps strength.

Peripheral muscle endurance was impaired in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, even in those with relatively normal physical activity and mild-to-moderate airflow obstruction. This impairment associated with an early onset of muscle fatigue and could not be predicted from the severity of the disease or the reduction in quadriceps strength.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. M. Chatila, B. M. Thomashow, O. A. Minai, G. J. Criner, and B. J. Make Comorbidities in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Proceedings of the ATS, May 1, 2008; 5(4): 549 - 555. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Scichilone, G. Paglino, S. Battaglia, L. Martino, A. Interrante, and V. Bellia The mini nutritional assessment is associated with the perception of dyspnoea in older subjects with advanced COPD Age Ageing, March 1, 2008; 37(2): 214 - 217. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E Barreiro, A M W J Schols, M I Polkey, J B Galdiz, H R Gosker, E B Swallow, C Coronell, J Gea, and on behalf of the ENIGMA in COPD project Cytokine profile in quadriceps muscles of patients with severe COPD Thorax, February 1, 2008; 63(2): 100 - 107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. B. Swallow, H. R. Gosker, K. A. Ward, A. J. Moore, M. J. Dayer, N. S. Hopkinson, A. M. W. J. Schols, J. Moxham, and M. I. Polkey A novel technique for nonvolitional assessment of quadriceps muscle endurance in humans J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2007; 103(3): 739 - 746. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Pitta, T. Troosters, V. S. Probst, M. A. Spruit, M. Decramer, and R. Gosselink Quantifying physical activity in daily life with questionnaires and motion sensors in COPD. Eur. Respir. J., May 1, 2006; 27(5): 1040 - 1055. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Couillard and C. Prefaut From muscle disuse to myopathy in COPD: potential contribution of oxidative stress Eur. Respir. J., October 1, 2005; 26(4): 703 - 719. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K.J. Killian Limitation to muscular activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Eur. Respir. J., July 1, 2004; 24(1): 6 - 7. [Full Text] [PDF]