Pure oxygen 'can help COPD patients increase exercise intensity'
Providing people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) with oxygen-enriched air can help them exercise at the intensity needed to provide optimal stimulation of the muscles and heart, new research has found.
A study published online in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports found that the lungs of COPD patients have a difficult time providing the oxygen needed that the oxygen saturation in their blood can drop below 88 per cent.
The research, conducted by professor Jan Helgerud and co-workers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, together with staff from St Olavs Hospital show that oxygen-enriched air can fill the void caused by COPD, allowing people to exercise at a high level.
Following 24 high-intensity training sessions where additional oxygen was supplied, maximal oxygen uptake was increased by 20 per cent.
According to the Long-term home oxygen therapy study by Dr David Flenley, published in the CHEST journal, oxygen therapy can prolong life in people who suffer from COPD.
Posted by James Worrall
25/01/2010 15:59:23
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