This study poses two questions: (1) is there an abnormality in isokinetic skeletal muscle strength and endurance in mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? and (2) what is the effect of a randomized, controlled, 12 week hospital outpatient weight training programme in terms of skeletal muscle function and exercise tolerance? Upper and lower limb isokinetic maximum and sustained muscle function were compared in 43 COPD patients (age 49 +/- 11 yrs), mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 77 +/- 23% pred and 52 healthy, sedentary subjects (age 51 (10) yrs), mean FEV1 109 +/- 16% pred. The 43 COPD patients were randomly allocated into training (n = 26) and control (n = 17) groups. Isokinetic and isotonic muscle function, whole body endurance, maximal exercise capacity and lung function were measured. The COPD patients had reduced isokinetic muscle function (with the exception of sustained upper limb strength) as compared with healthy sedentary subjects. Muscle function improved after weight training in the COPD patients. Whole body endurance during treadmill walking also improved with no change in maximal oxygen consumption. A deficit in skeletal muscle function can be identified in patients with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which cannot be explained by factors such as hypoxaemia and malnutrition. Intervention with weight training is effective in countering this deficit which the authors conclude is probably due to muscle deconditioning.
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