The purpose of this study was to investigate whether helium-hyperoxia (HeHOx) would allow greater tolerance to maximal and submaximal exercise compared to hyperoxia (HOx) on isolation in hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients under long-term oxygen therapy.In a double-blind study, 24 males in the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease functional class IV (forced expiratory volume in 1 s 35.2¡10.1% predicted and arterial oxygen tension 56.2¡7.5 mmHg) were submitted to incremental and constant load cycling at 70-80% peak work rate while breathing HOx (60% nitrogen and 40% oxygen) or HeHOx (60% helium and 40% oxygen).HeHOx improved resting airflow obstruction and lung hyperinflation in all but two patients (p,0.05). Peak work rate and time to exercise intolerance were higher with HeHOx than HOx in 17 (70.8%) out of 24 patients and 14 (66.6%) out of 21 patients, respectively (p,0.05). End-expiratory lung volumes were lower with HeHOx, despite a higher ventilatory response (p,0.05). HeHOx speeded on-exercise oxygen uptake kinetics by ,30%, especially in more disabled and hyperinflated patients. Fat-free mass was the only independent predictor of higher peak work rate with HeHOx (r 2 50.66, p,0.001); in contrast, none of the resting characteristics or exercise responses were related to improvements in time to exercise intolerance (p.0.05).Helium is a valuable ergogenic aid when added to HOx for most long-term oxygen therapy-dependent patients with advanced COPD. @ERSpublications Helium is a valuable ergogenic aid when added to hyperoxia for most advanced COPD patients on long-term oxygen therapy