Metabolic activity in skeletal muscles of patients with non-hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease studied by 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Objective: An alteration of high energy phosphate metabolism in muscles may contribute to exercise intolerance. The objective of this study was to clarify the changes in high energy phosphate metabolites in muscles during exercise in patients with non-hypoxaemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which influences the impairment of muscle metabolism.

Methodology: Calf muscle energy metabolism was studied in eight stable non-hypoxaemic COPD patients and eight control subjects, using 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).