Enhancing Muscle Function After Exacerbations of COPD to Limit Its Impact on Physical Activity Decline

Summary

Patients with COPD lose muscle strength during acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) which interferes improving the recovery of physical activity (PA) after an AECOPD. Resistance training can reverse this process. An exercise training program with the focus on resistance training is essential in minimizing the long-term effects of AECOPD as it may help to accelerate the gain in PA in the weeks after an acute event. Therefore, it is important that such programs are embedded at the right moment (i.e. immediately after an AECOPD) and in a setting accessible to the patient (i.e. primary care). The efficacy and effectiveness of implementing such training programs will be assessed in the present study.

Conditions

• COPD Exacerbation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

PA coaching

PA coaching: Patients receive a step counter together with a coaching application (m-PAC, AppsOnly, KU Leuven) installed on a smartphone. The step counter and coaching application are connected via Bluetooth. The coaching application has the goal of PA promotion as well as detecting any new AECOPD.

OTHER

Exercise training

Each session will include at least the following components: * Resistance training of the lower limbs: Exercises for 6 muscle groups using minimal (e.g. ankle weights or elastic resistance bands) or no (body weight) equipment are foreseen. Each exercise will be performed in 3 series of 8 repetitions. * Functional training: Sit to stand exercise and stair climbing. During the first 2 weeks of the exercise training program, at least 3 strength exercises and 1 functional exercise will be performed each session. Starting from the 3rd week of the exercise training program, whole body exercise training (interval training for walking, cycling, stair climbing and high knees) will be added. From this moment on, at least 1-2 whole body exercises and 2-3 strength and functional exercises will be performed during each physiotherapy session. By doing this, each session will consist of a minimum of 4 exercises in total.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Ghent

  collaborator OTHER

• KU Leuven

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Eric Derom · UZ Gent

• Wim Janssens · UZ Leuven

• Heleen Demeyer · UGent

• Thierry Troosters · KU Leuven

• Marieke Wuyts · KU Leuven

• Fien Hermans · U Gent

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

40 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-02-08

Primary Completion

2025-01-14

Completion

2025-01-14

Countries

• Belgium

Study Locations