Effects of upper limb resistance exercise on aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and quality of life in COPD patients: a randomized controlled trial:

Objective:To evaluate the effects of upper limb resistance exercise on the functional capacity, muscle function, and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Setting:Clinical School of Physiotherapy in a Public University of Brazil.Subjects:58 patients were recruited; of these, 7 were excluded and 51 individuals were enrolled.Intervention:Control group performed warm-up, aerobic exercise, inspiratory muscle training, and session stretching, followed by massage therapy. The treatment group performed warm-up, aerobic exercise, inspiratory muscle training, three sets of upper limb resistance exercise, and session stretching, followed by massage therapy. Total three sessions per week for eight weeks.Primary outcome measures:6-minute walk test, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, dyspnea, and quality of life. Normality of the data was tested using the Shapiro–Wilk test; paired analysis of variance was used for intergroup analyses.Results:51 patients (25 in the control grou...