Effects of a muscular training program on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with moderate or severe exacerbation antecedents

BACKGROUND: Muscular training is the corner stone of pulmonary rehabilitation programs. AIM: To evaluate the effects of a muscular training program carried out on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects with antecedents of moderate or severe exacerbation on exercise tolerance, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and illness prognosis. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study. SETTING: University Hospital. Population. Twenty-five subjects with COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) degrees II, III and IV); with moderate or severe exacerbations and functional deterioration due to respiratory disability; with commitment and capacity to participate in the program. Subjects were selected by consecutive sampling. METHODS: Subjects underwent 20 muscular training sessions consisting of 30 minutes of inspiratory muscle training, 15 minutes of warm-up protocol of upper limb exercises, 30 minutes of muscle training in ergometric cycle, 5 minutes of stretching protocol of lower limbs plus illness awareness. The main outcome measures were six minute walking test (6MWT), specific HRQoL questionnaires (St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRDQ) and Airways Questionnaire 20 (AQ20)) and the BODE Index. RESULTS: All subjects improved significantly (P<0.001) their HRQoL in the SGRQ, the CRDQ and the AQ20, and this was demonstrated in each one of the evaluated dimensions. A positive response in relation to exercise tolerance and illness prognosis was observed. Following the program subjects walked an average of 56 meters more (P<0.001) and the BODE index was a mean of 1.5 less regarding the initial value (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A 20-session muscular training program contributes to an improvement in HRQoL, exercise tolerance and illness prognosis in COPD subjects with moderate or severe exacerbations. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The intervention program could be easily implemented since it needs a minimum of human and technological resources.