title: [Improvement in quality of life and exercise capacity without muscular biology changes after general training in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the beneficial effects of exercise training in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, several studies have revealed functional and biological abnormalities in their peripheral muscles. The objective was to determine whether exercise training of high intensity and long duration modifies oxidative stress levels and structure of respiratory and peripheral muscles of severe COPD patients, while also improving their exercise capacity and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter study (Warsaw and Barakaldo) in which 25 severe COPD out-patients were recruited from the COPD clinics. In all patients, lung and muscle functions, exercise capacity (walking test and cycloergometer) and quality of life (QoL) were assessed, and open muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis and external intercostals (n=14) were obtained before and after an exercise training program of high intensity (respiratory rehabilitation area, 70% maximal tolerated load in a cycloergometer) and long duration (10 weeks). Oxidative stress and muscle structural modifications were evaluated in all muscle biopsies using immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all patients, after the training program, without any drop-outs, exercise capacity and QoL improved significantly, whereas oxidative stress, muscle damage and structure were not modified in their respiratory or limb muscles compared to baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with severe COPD, exercise training of high intensity and long duration significantly improves their exercise capacity and QoL, without inducing significant modifications on oxidative stress levels or muscle structure in their respiratory or peripheral muscles. These results may have future clinical therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación en EPOC y Cáncer de Pulmón, Servicio de Neumología, Instituto Municipal de Investigación Médica IMIM-Hospital del Mar, Parc de Salut Mar, Departamento de Ciencias Experimentales y de la Salud, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona PRBB, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pascual-Guardia
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wodja
authors.forename: Amaya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorostiza
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López de Santamaría
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gea
authors.forename: Juan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gáldiz
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sliwinski
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barreiro
mesh_terms: D005081:Exercise Therapy; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index