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Updated: May 6, 2026

Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Association between peripheral muscle strength and daily physical activity in patients with COPD: a systematic
Anne-Kathrin Rausch Osthoff1, Jan Taeymans, Jan Kool
1Department of Physiotherapy, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Winterthur, Switzerland (Ms Osthoff and Drs Kool, van Gestel, and Marcar); and Bern University of Applied Sciences, Bern, Switzerland (Dr Taeymans).
Background:
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have skeletal muscle dysfunction and reduced daily physical activity (PA). Whether the reduction in quadriceps strength (QS) is directly linked to physical inactivity remains to be elucidated.
Methods:
A systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted to determine the potential relationship between QS and the level of PA. The overall estimate of the correlation coefficient (r*) was calculated, and a subgroup analysis was conducted to analyze the association between QS and indices of PA separately.
Results:
A total of 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The overall association between QS and PA was low but highly significant (r * = 0.288, 95% CI = 0.180-0.389; P < .001). In the subgroup analysis, the association between QS and the number of steps per day was low (r = 0.260; 95% CI = 0.060-0.440) and the association between QS and the time spent walking was moderate (r = 0.418; 95% CI = 0.229-0.576).
Conclusions:
Peripheral muscle strength is associated with PA as assessed by the number of steps per day and the time spent walking in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The overall association between QS and PA was low to moderate and highly significant.
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