Influence of Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Muscle Oxygenation in Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Abstract.[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefit of 8-week home-based lower extremity strength training combined with whole body endurance training on peripheral muscle oxygenation in outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).[Subjects] The 8 subjects were COPD patients (6 males, 2 females).[Methods] Using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), muscle oxygenation in the right vastus lateralis muscle at rest and during isometric contraction of 30% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) were assessed before and after intervention. Also, MVC of the right quadriceps muscles, the muscle endurance time (TLIM), defined as the time from the onset of the isometric contraction of 30% MVC until termination of the test, and the distance covered in the incremental shuttle walking test (ISWD) were measured. [Results] Although there were improvements, no significant changes were seen in MVC, TLIM, and ISWD between before and after the 8-week intervention. Also, no changes were seen in NIRS parameters at rest and during muscle endurance exercise between before and after intervention.[Conclusion] Our results identify no statistically significant improvements in MVC and walking ability which could be acknowledged as an effect of pulmonary rehabilitation. Further investigation is needed to clarify the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on muscle oxygenation.

Benefits of Concurrent Aerobic-Resistance Interval Exercise in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

“…groups during the post-intervention 6MWT, but these changes were not statistically significant. Similar results have been reported using different types of exercise trainings, such as endurance training, tapering, or strength training [18,25,26].…”

Evidence of an association between cardiac-locomotor synchronization and lower leg muscle blood perfusion during walking

“…Using these three wavelengths, it is possible to differentiate between oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin. The sum of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin reflects the total amount of haemoglobin (total Hb), which can be interpreted as blood volume in the underlying tissue 3 ) . The NIRS signal is generally used with artery or venous occlusion to examine tissue blood flow and tissue metabolism 4 , 5 ) .…”