Oxygen-assisted exercise training in adult cystic fibrosis patients with pulmonary limitation to exercise

Exercise training has been considered suitable only in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with mild to moderate pulmonary dysfunction without progressive hypoxaemia during exercise. We trained 16 CF patients, all with advanced lung disease (mean standardized forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), 30% pred.), with a ventilatory limitation to exercise and a progressive hypoxaemia and hypercapnia at low maximal exercise capacity, Wmax (mean Wmax, 50% pred). Exercise training was performed on a cycle ergometer twice a day for 20 min at approximately 75% of the maximal predicted heart rate for at least 3 weeks. Supplemental oxygen was administered to reach a haemoglobin oxygen saturation of 90% during training. Patients considered malnourished because of a Quetelet Index of less than 20 kg m-2 received hyperalimentation orally or by duodenal tube (total 3500-4000 kcal day-1). Evaluation directly after the training period showed a statistically significant improvement in Wmax, maximal oxygen consumption, maximal minute ventilation, pulse, PaCO2 at rest, FEV1 and body weight. None of the pretraining variables was able to predict the outcome of the training programme in the individual patient. We detected no adverse effects of the programme. This study shows that oxygen-assisted exercise training in combination with correction of the nutritional status is safe and beneficial in CF patients with severe lung disease