RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Relation between daily physical activity and exercise capacity in patients with COPD JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP p2999 VO 38 IS Suppl 55 A1 Marlies Zwerink A1 Job van der Palen A1 Marjolein Brusse-Keizer A1 Paul van der Valk A1 Tanja Effing YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2999.abstract AB Background: A change in exercise capacity, achieved with an exercise programme, does not necessarily lead to a change in daily physical activity. This is due to a lack in behavioural change and can subsequently lead to loss of an initial gain in exercise capacity.Objectives: Is daily physical activity level related to exercise performance in patients with COPD?Is change in exercise capacity related to change in physical activity in patients with COPD who participated in an exercise programme, or who received usual care?Methods: 153 Patients with COPD were included. Patients in the exercise group (n=77) participated in a 6-month physiotherapeutic exercise programme. At baseline and 7 months, daily physical activity was measured with a pedometer (steps/day), and exercise capacity was measured with the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT; meters) and Endurance Shuttle Walk Test (ESWT; meters, seconds). Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated.Results: At baseline, the correlation coefficients between steps/day and ISWT (m), ESWT (m) and ESWT (s) were 0.59, 0.44, and 0.34 respectively (all p < 0.01). From baseline to 7 months, in the exercise group the correlation coefficients between change in steps/day and change in ISWT (m), ESWT (m) and ESWT (s) were 0.48, 0.41, and 0.38, respectively (all p < 0.01). Correlation coefficients between change in exercise capacity and daily physical activity in the control group were non-significant.Conclusions: Change in daily physical activity is only weakly correlated with change in exercise capacity in COPD patients. This indicates that exercise programmes for these patients should specifically aim at increasing daily physical activity.