The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hyperoxic aerobic high intensity one-legged interval cycling improves peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) compared to normoxic training in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and to evaluate the acute effect of hyperoxia during one- and two-legged peak exercise testing. Twelve COPD patients were recruited to perform 3 training sessions per week for 8 weeks in hyperoxia (n = 7) or normoxia (n = 5). Each leg was trained 4x4 min at 85 to 95% of the one-legged peak heart rate. One-legged VO2peak increased in the hyperoxia and normoxia training groups by 24 and 15% (16.1 (13.2) to 20.0 (11.3) and 17.4 (15.1) to 20.0 (6.7) mL/kg/min) respectively. The corresponding increases in VO2peak during two-legged testing were 14% in both groups (20.1 (11.5) to 22.9 (10.6) and 18.8 (8.5) to 21.4 (7.3) mL/kg/min). There were no differences between groups from pre- to post-training. Nor were there any differences between acute hyperoxia and normoxia at the pre- or post-peak exercise test. One-legged aerobic high intensity interval cycling significantly increases VO2peak in COPD patients. However, breathing supplemental oxygen during training or testing does not appear to improve VO2peak above the level attained by breathing ambient air.

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