Deficits in muscle strength, mass, quality, and mobility in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Purpose: Midthigh intramuscular fat (IF), a feature of reduced muscle quality, is an important predictor of self-reported mobility loss in the elderly. This study compared measures of muscle strength, mass, IF, and mobility in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and healthy subjects. Associations between measures of muscle strength, mass, IF, and mobility were explored.

Effects of exercise training and inspiratory muscle training in spinal cord injury: a systematic review.

Objective: To provide a systematic review of the studies assessing exercise training and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in individuals for the improved respiratory function of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Thirteen studies (5 exercise training, 8 IMT) were identified. Articles were scored for their methodological quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scores and Downs and Black tools for randomized and nonrandomized studies, respectively.