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While the mechanisms underlying exercise limitations and symptoms during leg activities have been investigated in detail, knowledge of potential differences between leg and arm activities are not well understood and results from individual studies are contradictory. Thus, the aim of the present study was to synthesize physiological and symptomatic responses during activities involving the arms relative to activities involving the legs in people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Any study with a cross-sectional comparison of acute physiological (cardiorespiratory, metabolic) and symptomatic responses to activities performed with the arms versus the legs were included. Studies were sub-grouped based on the type of activity performed (cycle ergometer, resistance exercises, or functional test/activities). Eighteen studies with 423 individuals with COPD were included. Leg cycle ergometer resulted in greater tidal volume (137?mL), minute ventilation (4.8?L/min), and oxygen consumption (164?mL/min) than arm cycle ergometer, while symptomatic responses were similar. Resistance exercises resulted in similar physiological and symptomatic responses irrespective of whether the legs or the arms were involved while studies on functional activities report different results depending on the type and intensity of the activity performed. With the exception of cycle ergometer activities, physiological and symptomatic responses do not seem to depend on whether the arms or the legs are used, but rather seem to be task and intensity dependent. These novel findings suggest, for example, that strategies used to increase exercise tolerance should not be dependent on whether the arms or the legs are used, but rather the intensity of specific activity performed.

The aims were to determine reliability and feasibility of measurements to assess quadriceps endurance in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sixty participants (forced expiratory volume in one second (mean ± standard deviation) 55 ± 18% of predicted, age 67 ± 8 years) were tested in an inter-day, test–retest design. Isokinetic, isometric, and isotonic protocols were performed using a computerized dynamometer. Test–retest relative and absolute reliability was determined via intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV%), and limits of agreement (LoA%). Isokinetic total work demonstrated very high relative reliability (ICC: [95% confidence interval] = 0.98 [0.94–0.99]) and the best absolute reliability (CV% (LoA%) = 6.5% (18.0%)). Isokinetic fatigue index, isometric, and isotonic measures demonstrated low-to-high relative reliability (ICC = 0.64 [0.46–0.77], 0.88 [0.76–0.94], 0.91 [0.85–0.94]), and measures of absolute reliability (CV% (LoA%)) were 20.3% (56.4%), 14.9% (40.8%), and 15.8% (43.1%). For isokinetic total work and isometric measurements, participants performed better on retest (4.8% and 10.0%, respectively). The feasibility was similar across protocols with an average time consumption of less than 7.5 minutes. In conclusion, isokinetic, isometric, and isotonic measurements of quadriceps endurance were feasible to a similar extent and presented low-to-very high relative reliability. Absolute reliability seems to favor isokinetic total work measurements.

OBJECTIVE: Various functional muscle properties affect different aspects of functional exercise capacity in people with COPD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of quadriceps muscle strength, endurance, and power to the 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) and the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (1STS) performance in people with COPD.

METHODS: The study was a prospective, multicenter cross-sectional study. Anthropometrics, Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale, lung function, 6MWD and the 1STS number of repetitions were assessed. Isometric quadriceps strength (Strength-ISOM) and endurance (Endurance-ISOM), isotonic quadriceps endurance (Endurance-ISOT), isokinetic quadriceps strength (Strength-ISOKIN), and power (Power-ISOKIN) were assessed on a computerized dynamometer while functional quadriceps power was determined during 5 sit-to-stand repetitions (Power-5STS). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the contribution of functional muscle properties on the 6MWD and the 1STS number of repetitions.

RESULTS: The study included 70 people with COPD (mean % predicted FEV1 = 58.9 [SD = 18.2]). The 6MWD correlated with each functional muscle property, except the Endurance-ISOM. The number of repetitions during the 1STS correlated with each functional muscle property except isometric measurements. Multivariate models explained respectively 60% and 39% of the variance in the 6MWD and 1STS number of repetitions, with Power-5STS being the muscle functional property with the strongest contribution to the models.

CONCLUSION: Except for isometric endurance, quadriceps strength, endurance, and power were associated with functional exercise capacity in people with moderate COPD. Among these functional muscle properties, muscle power contributed the most to the 6MWD and 1STS number of repetitions, suggesting that muscle power is more relevant to functional exercise capacity than muscle strength or endurance in people with COPD.

IMPACT: Understanding the individual contribution of muscle properties to functional status is important to designing interventions. This study provides the guidance that muscle power may be more important to functional exercise capacity than muscle strength or endurance in people with COPD.

Knowledge about modifiable determinants of daily physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is crucial to design effective PA interventions. The present study aimed to determine the contribution of quadriceps strength, power and endurance to daily PA in COPD. Additionally, for quadriceps endurance, we also aimed to determine to what extent the association varies according to the mode of movement (isotonic, isometric, or isokinetic). Using a multicentre cross-sectional trial design we determined the contribution of quadriceps function to daily PA (steps, sedentary time and time spent doing moderate-to-very-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]) using bivariate and partial Pearson correlation analysis (r) and multiple linear regression models (ΔR2). Pre-determined controlling factors were sex, age, body mass index (BMI), COPD-assessment test, forced expiratory volume in one second in percent of the predicted value (FEV1pred), and distance walked on the 6-minute walk test. Eighty-one patients with COPD (mean ± SD: age 67 ± 8 years, FEV1pred 57 ± 19%, daily steps 4968 ± 3319, daily sedentary time 1016 ± 305 min, and MVPA time 83 ± 45 min) were included. Small to moderate bivariate correlations (r =.225 to.452, p <.05) were found between quadriceps function and measures of PA. The best multiple linear regression models explained 38–49% of the variance in the data. Isotonic endurance was the only muscle contributor that improved all PA models; daily steps (ΔR2 =.04 [relative improvement 13%] p =.026), daily sedentary time (ΔR2 =.07 [23%], p =.005) and MVPA-minutes (ΔR2 =.08 [20%], p =.001). Isotonic endurance was also independently associated with most PA variables, even when controlling for strength, power or isometric-isokinetic endurance properties of the muscle (r =.246 to.384, p <.05). In contrast, neither strength, power, isometric-or isokinetic endurance properties of the muscle was independently associated with PA measures when controlling for isotonic endurance (r =.037 to.219, p >.05). To conclude, strength, power, and endurance properties of the quadriceps were low to moderately associated with PA in patients with COPD. Isotonic quadriceps endurance was the only quadriceps property that was independently associated with the different measures of PA after controlling for a basic set of known determinants of PA, quadriceps strength or power, or isometric or isokinetic quadriceps endurance. Future longitudinal studies should investigate its potential as a modifiable determinant of PA.