Hideo Kaneko, Hitoshi Maruyama and Hironori Sato
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expiratory activity of the lateral abdominal muscle during quiet breathing and exercise tolerance in COPD patients. The expiratory activity of the lateral abdominal muscle and exercise tolerance were measured in 15 COPD and 15 healthy subjects. Expiratory activity was higher in COPD patients than in healthy subjects, and a moderate significant negative correlation was found between expiratory activity and the distance walked. However, there was no significant correlation between expiratory activity and exercise tolerance.
The results indicate that exercise intolerance may be more important factors than airflow limitation in expiratory muscle activity during quiet breathing in advanced COPD patients.
Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 2008, 20(2), 147-151