Meta- analysis revealed few clinical ly relevant and statistically significant benefits of " add-on " therapies on exercise performance compared with exercise training .
The aim of this review was to identify the effectiveness of therapies added on to conventional exercise training to maximise exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) .
Eccentric exercise training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
The oxygen cost of eccentric exercise is lower than that of concentric exercise at similar work-loads . In this study , the response to eccentric cycle exercise training ( EET ) in addition to general exercise training ( GET ) on exercise performance and quality of life was investigated in 24 patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) . All patients had a normal resting PaO2 and an arterial oxygen saturation ( SaO2 ) below 90 % at Wmax , achieved during a maximal incremental concentric cycle exercise test . The patients participated in a comprehensive inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programme of 10 weeks . They were r and omly assigned either to GET ( GET group : mean FEV1 38 % predicted ) or to GET and additional EET ( GET/EET group : FEV1 45 % predicted ) . During EET , the patients were able to cycle eccentrically for 15 min continuously at a mean of 160 ( 69 % ) of Wmax whereas the Borg dyspnoea score did not exceed 3.0 and SaO2 did not fall below 90 % . Parameters of cardiocirculatory fitness and gas exchange improved in the GET/EET group but no further improvement in exercise capacity occurred compared to GET . It is concluded that eccentric cycle exercise is a safe and attractive training modality for patients with severe COPD and can be performed at a high intensity without the patient becoming out of breath or needing supplemental oxygen
Meta- analysis revealed few clinical ly relevant and statistically significant benefits of " add-on " therapies on exercise performance compared with exercise training .
The aim of this review was to identify the effectiveness of therapies added on to conventional exercise training to maximise exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) .