Chest
Clinical Investigations: ExerciseImpaired Skeletal Muscle Endurance Related to Physical Inactivity and Altered Lung Function in COPD Patients
Section snippets
Subjects
Seventeen outpatient men with COPD (age, 62 years [SE, 2]) and eight healthy age-matched men (control group) were recruited to participate in this study. Each subject was informed of the purpose of the study and gave written consent. Patients were ex-smokers, had a clinical history consistent with COPD, and had spirometric evidence of bronchial obstruction;12 respiratory impairment ranged from moderate to severe according to the European Respiratory Society classification.12 At the time of the
RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the COPD and control groups for anthropometric data (Table 1). Differences between the two groups could be observed for spirometric function and level of physical activity (Table 1).
Analysis of peripheral muscle performance showed no significant difference in MVC between the COPD group and the control group (22 ±1 kg vs 24±2 kg). In contrast, muscle endurance (Tlim) was significantly decreased in COPD patients compared with healthy subjects (Fig 2).
DISCUSSION
The major findings of this study are that (1) skeletal muscle endurance is impaired in COPD patients compared with healthy subjects; and that (2) skeletal muscle endurance is associated with level of daily physical activity and severity of airways obstruction. To study muscle endurance, we used local muscle exercise consisting of dynamic extension of the quadriceps at a regular pace. COPD patients performed a reduced number of contractions at a power output adapted from their own maximal
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Catherine Stott Carmeni for valuable technical assistance.
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This work was supported by grant No. 93 1102 from Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM).