Abstract

Background: Impairment of exercise tolerance in chronic respiratory disorders and in particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has important implications on health-related quality of life, hospitalization rate and survival. Although COPD patients have shortness of breath, programmed exercise can increase the activity tolerance in these patients. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) is a fundamental measure of exercise physiology. It is an index of cardiovascular performance as well as a measure of aerobic capacity. VO2 max can be measured by expensive devices or predicted by a valid formula. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of treadmill exercise training (TET) on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after a 4-week program. Materials and methods: Thirty-eight subjects with COPD were recruited in the study and were randomly divided into two groups of control (n=18) and treatment (TET, n=20). The control group did not do any treadmill exercise training (TET). The treatment group exercised on a treadmill three times a week. VO2 max was assessed in each group before and after the training period by using a modified formula. Results: After 4 weeks of training, VO2 peak was significantly greater in the TET group. Conclusion: Considering the increase in VO2 peak, It was concluded that TET benefits exercise performance, inspiratory muscle strength, dyspnea and health-related quality of life. © 2007 NRITLD, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Iran.