Inspiratory muscle training in COPD patients.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact a specific inspiratory muscle training (IMT) protocol had on dyspnoea, lung function, respiratory muscle pressure, tolerance to exercise and quality of life in a group of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) POPULATION: We studied 13 patients with moderate to very severe COPD divided into a control group (n=5) with an average FEV1 43.9 +/- 10.1% of predicted value and an IMT group (n=8) with FEV1 57.8 +/- 12.1 % of predicted value. While this study group underwent IMT for five consecutive weeks, the control group did not undergo any kind of training.

Results: Using a specific IMT protocol significantly improved maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) in the study group (initial MIP - 83.3+/- 21.4 versus final MIP- 98.4+/-17.8 cmH2O;p<0.01). The same result was seen with the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score in the study group (initial score 58+/-2.2 versus final score 50+/-2.1; p<0.05). No changes were recorded in the variables studied in the control group.

Conclusions: The use of IMT in patients with moderate to very severe COPD induced an improvement in inspiratory muscle force with a consequent improvement in the quality of life in relation to symptoms.