Benefits of High-Intensity Exercise Training to Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Controlled Study.
BACKGROUND
Various exercise training programs are used for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of different severity.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of individualized high-intensity training on exercise capacity with COPD.


METHODS
A total of 49 patients agreed to participate. Of these, 31 were assigned to the training group and 18 served as controls. The training group exercised twice a week for 90 min with consecutively increasing loads. At the time of enrollment (T0), as well as after 3 (T1) and 6 (T2) months, a 6-min walk test (6-MWT) was performed and data on health-related quality of life, femoral muscle thickness, and various serum markers were obtained.


RESULTS
The training group improved in their 6-MWT results (T0 = 407 ± 152 m vs. T1 = 459 ± 127 m, p = 0.002, vs. T2 = 483.2 ± 130.1 m, p = 0.004), in their cross-sectional area of the musculus rectus femoris (T0 = 6.2 ± 1.2 cm2 vs. T1 = 6.9 ± 1.2 cm2, p = 0.003, vs. 7.5 ± 1.6 cm2, p = 0.002), and in their St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score (T0 = 43.3 ± 18.0 vs. T1 = 36.0 ± 18.4, p = 0.001, vs. T2 = 34.7 ± 18. 0, p = 0.004). Serum levels of myostatin, irisin, resistin, and α-Klotho did not change significantly within the training period. Of note, the exercise group showed an inverse relationship between serum levels of resistin and those of α-Klotho after 6 months (r = -0.608, p = 0.021).


CONCLUSIONS
COPD patients undergoing an individualized, structured, high-intensity training program improved their exercise capacity, gained muscle mass, and improved their quality of life.
Department of Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany.
Tobias
T
Boeselt
Christoph
C
Nell
Lea
L
Lütteken
Katharina
K
Kehr
Janine
J
Koepke
Sandra
S
Apelt
Martina
M
Veith
Björn
B
Beutel
Marc
M
Spielmanns
Timm
T
Greulich
Claus F
CF
Vogelmeier
Klaus
K
Kenn
Sabina
S
Janciauskiene
Peter
P
Alter
A Rembert
AR
Koczulla
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D011788:Quality of Life
D015415:Biomarkers