SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF NORMOCAPNIC HYPERPNEA AND EXERCISE TRAINING IN COPD PATIENTS: A PILOT STUDY

Objective To evaluate the short-term physiologic effects of respiratory muscle training with normocapnic hyperpnea (NH) added to standard exercise training on respiratory muscle endurance/strength and exercise tolerance in COPD patients. Design Randomized controlled trial. Patients referred for rehabilitation were randomly assigned to 20 sessions (twice daily 5 days/week) of either NH (Group 1, n = 12) or sham maneuvers (Group 2, n = 10) in addition to individualized cycle training and abdominal, upper and lower limb muscle exercise. At baseline and end of study, patients underwent evaluation of respiratory muscle endurance, maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory pressures (MEP), and 6-min walking distance (6MWD). Results Following training, a significant improvement was found only for Group 1 in respiratory muscle endurance time [by 654 (481) vs. 149 (216) sec for Group 2, P = 0.0108] and MIP [Group 1: from 81.2 (21.9) to 107.6 (23.0) cmH2O, P = 0.018 vs. Group 2: from 75.4 (13.8) to 81.3 (18.9) cmH2O, P = 0.139]. The difference between groups for 6MWD, MVV and MEP was not significant. Conclusions Short-term NH training added to standard exercise, compared to exercise training alone, improves respiratory muscle endurance and strength but not exercise tolerance in COPD patients. Correspondence to: Mara Paneroni, PT MSc, Department of Respiratory Rehabilitation, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS via Giuseppe Mazzini 129, 25065 Lumezzane (BS), Italy; email: mara.paneroni@icsmaugeri.it Authorship MP: Data collection, data analysis, statistics, writing, editing CS: Data collection, data analysis, writing, editing MS: Data collection, data analysis, writing DT, GFA, IS, GP: data collection NA: Review, editing MV: Protocol, editing All the Authors approved and critically revised the manuscript FUNDING The Research was supported by Institutional funding. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Authors thank Rosemary Allpress for the English revision of the paper and Laura Comini for editorial assistance. Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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