Determinants of maximum exercise capacity in patients with chronic airflow obstruction

Patients with chronic airflow obstruction (CAO) often develop impairment of respiratory muscle function. We hypothesized that inspiratory muscle strength, as assessed by resting, peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) may be an important determinant of maximum exercise capacity in patients with CAO. Twenty ambulatory male patients (mean age, 56 +/- 3 years [+/- SE]) with CAO (FEV1, 1.72 +/- 0.21 L) comprised the studied population. Oxygen consumption at incremental cycle ergometry to tolerance (VO2max, 1.80 +/- 0.20 L/min) served as the dependent variable for regression vs measures of resting pulmonary function. Significant correlations with VO2max included power output in watts (r = 0.951), VEmax (r = 0.858), Dsb (r = 0.841), PIP (r = 0.816), age (r = -0.809), FEV1 (r = 0.763), and FVC (r = 0.663). The FEV1, Dsb, and PIP each entered into a multiple linear regression relationship describing VO2max. Also, when paired with VEmax as independent variables in multiple regression, PIP and Dsb each improved description of VO2max over VEmax alone (p less than 0.05), whereas FEV1 and FVC did not (p greater than 0.05). We conclude that factors other than ventilatory capacity also have a quantitative effect on VO2max and that PIP constitutes a determinant of maximum exercise capacity in patients with CAO.