• Andre Nyberg, Britta Lindström, and Karin Wadell.
• Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umeå 90187, Sweden. andre.nyberg@physiother.umu.se
• Trials. 2012 Jan 1;13:114.

BackgroundSingle-limb knee extension exercises have been found to be effective at improving lower extremity exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Since the positive local physiological effects of exercise training only occur in the engaged muscle(s), should upper extremity muscles also be included to determine the effect of single limb exercises in COPD patients.Methods/DesignTrial Designa prospective, assessor-blind, block randomized controlled, parallel-group multicenter trial.Participantsstage II-IV COPD patients, > 40 years of age, ex-smokers, with stable medical treatment will be included starting May 2011. Recruitment at three locations in Sweden.Interventions1) high-repetitive single limb exercise (HRSLE) training with elastic bands, 60 minutes, three times/week for 8 weeks combined with four sessions of 60 minutes patient education, or 2) the same patient education alone.OutcomesPrimary: determine the effects of HRSLE on local muscle endurance capacity (measured as meters walked during 6-minute walk test and rings moved on 6-minute ring and pegboard test) and quality of life (measured as change on the Swedish version of the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire). Secondary: effects on maximal strength, muscular endurance, dyspnea, self-efficacy, anxiety and depression. The relationship between changes in health-related variables and changes in exercise capacity, sex-related differences in training effects, feasibility of the program, strategies to determine adequate starting resistance and provide accurate resistance for each involved movement and the relationship between muscle fatigue and dyspnea in the different exercise tests will also be analyzed. Randomization: performed by a person independent of the recruitment process and using a computer random number generator. Stratification by center and gender with a 1:1 allocation to the intervention or control using random block sizes. Blinding: all outcome assessors will be blinded to group assignment.DiscussionThe results of this project will contribute to increase the body of knowledge regarding COPD and HRSLE.

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