Ventilatory and muscular assessment in healthy subjects during an activity of daily living with unsupported arm elevation.

Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) report dyspnea when performing activities of daily living (ADLs) with elevated upper limbs. To elucidate the determinants of dyspnea, it is important to study the changes in the respiratory pattern of these patients and the electromyographic activity of their accessory muscles of respiration during ADLs. In the literature, there are no reports of a normative parameter, therefore it is necessary to study how these variables behave in healthy subjects.