[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sports]

From a moderate COPD onward, physical training is an essential component of treatment. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that endurance training alone does not suffice to counter the progressive deconditioning process. Since the muscular strength of COPD patients is significantly reduced vis-a-vis healthy subjects, and this makes a considerable contribution to the limitation of performance, functional health can be improved in particular by adding strength training to endurance training. This applies all the more so since a decrease in muscle mass is associated with a worsening of the prognosis. In view of the fact that the ventilatory load is sometimes above the maximal breathing capacity, training should be oriented to the patient's daily requirements, in particular in advanced COPD. Furthermore, breathing and movement techniques that spare the patient's resources should be taught.