title: Dietary supplementation and respiratory muscle performance in patients with COPD.
abstract: We studied the effects of oral nutritional supplementation on respiratory muscle (RM) performance in 25 ambulatory patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There was a relationship between body weight and anthropometric parameters of nutritional status (triceps skinfold thickness [r = 0.67; p less than 0.005], midarm muscle circumference (r = 0.53; p less than 0.005), but body weight did not correlate with daily caloric intake, serum albumin, transferrin, or blood lymphocyte count. None of these measurements of nutritional status correlated with any measure of RM strength or endurance. In a randomized observer-blinded crossover trial, patients were allocated to one of two groups. In the first eight weeks of the study, group A received nutritional supplementation, and patients in group B were control subjects. In the second eight weeks, patients in group A were control subjects, and group B received supplement. Mean daily caloric intake and body weight increased in both groups while receiving supplement (both p less than 0.05). Calories provided by the supplement were frequently substituted for normal dietary calories. Any increases in RM performance in the group receiving supplement were matched by increases (due to learning) in controls. We conclude that oral dietary supplements have no important effects on RM performance in ambulatory patients with COPD.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Research Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fairbarn
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wiggs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chan-Yan
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Pardy
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001835:Body Weight; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D002149:Energy Intake; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011897:Random Allocation; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*