BACKGROUND: Impairment of exercise tolerance in chronic respiratory disorders and in particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has important implications on health-related quality of life, hospitalization rate and survival. Although COPD patients have shortness of breath, programmed exercise can increase the activity tolerance in these patients. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak) is a fundamental measure of exercise physiology. It is an index of cardiovascular performance as well as a measure of aerobic capacity. VO2max can be measured by expensive devices or predicted by a valid formula. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of treadmill exercise training (TET) on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after a 4-week program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight subjects with COPD were recruited in the study and were randomly divided into two groups of control (n = 18) and treatment (TET, n = 20). The control group did not do any treadmill exercise training (TET). The treatment group exercised on a treadmill three times a week. VO2max was assessed in each group before and after the training period by using a modified formula. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of training, VO2peak was significantly greater in the TET group. CONCLUSION: Considering the increase in VO2peak, It was concluded that TET benefits exercise performance, inspiratory muscle strength, dyspnea and health-related quality of life.

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