Endurance training improves skeletal muscle electrical activity in active COPD patients.
The effect of endurance training on muscle electrical activity during general exercise testing was investigated in physically active patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Before and after rehabilitation, patients performed identical incremental exercise tests. Pulmonary gas exchange, venous lactate and pyruvate concentrations, and the quadriceps electromyographic signal were sampled every minute throughout exercise testing. Three weeks of rehabilitation increased exercise capacity without modifying pulmonary function. M-wave amplitude, root mean square (RMS) of electromyographic activity, and RMS/oxygen uptake were increased significantly during post-rehabilitation testing at the same exercise intensity compared to pre-rehabilitation. Median frequency was significantly lower after training. These modifications reflect greater muscle excitability, greater muscle activation for the same level of exercise, and higher recruitment of slow-twitch fibers. Pulmonary rehabilitation in active COPD patients may normalize the electrical activity of skeletal muscles during incremental dynamic exercise. The electromyographic signal confirms neuromuscular changes after endurance training.
Gosselin
Nadège
N
Sport, Performance, Health Laboratory, Faculty of Sport Sciences, 700 Av du Pic St Loup, 34090 Montpellier, France. gosselin.nadege@free.fr
Lambert
Karen
K
Poulain
Magali
M
Martin
Anne
A
Préfaut
Christian
C
Varray
Alain
A
D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D004576:Electromyography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000502:physiology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
D019344:Lactic Acid