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Skeletal muscle abnormalities in patients with COPD: contribution to exercise intolerance
1Laboratoire de Physiologie des Interactions, CHU Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France. physio.montp@hol.fr
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|July 15, 1998
Summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients exhibit skeletal muscle dysfunction, leading to exercise intolerance. This review explores muscle abnormalities, their causes, and the impact of training, suggesting noninvasive methods for future research.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Muscle Biology
Background:
- Exercise intolerance is a hallmark symptom in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Skeletal muscle dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to this limitation.
- Peripheral and respiratory muscles show distinct abnormalities in COPD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on skeletal muscle abnormalities in COPD patients.
- To discuss the causes and consequences of these muscle changes.
- To explore the effects of exercise training and suggest future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies using biopsy and magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
- Analysis of biochemical characteristics of peripheral and respiratory muscles.
- Discussion of contributing factors like hypoxemia, nutrition, and deconditioning.
Main Results:
- Peripheral muscles in COPD patients show reduced oxidative capacity.
- Respiratory muscle biochemical characteristics vary by muscle group.
- Factors like hypoxemia, nutritional status, and deconditioning contribute to muscle dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a key factor in COPD exercise intolerance.
- Understanding these abnormalities is crucial for patient management.
- Future research should leverage noninvasive technologies to study COPD-related muscle changes.