Why does oxygen supplementation during exercise training in COPD patients with exercise-induced desaturation not consistently improve exercise capacity?

We would like to congratulate the authors of the recent study entitled "Oxygen compared to air during exercise training in COPD with exercise-induced desaturation" for conducting a methodologically well-designed randomised controlled trial (RCT) [1]. The potential effects of several adjuncts to exercise training during pulmonary rehabilitation, such as supplemental oxygen or inspiratory muscle training, are still a matter for debate [2]. Additional improvements in functional capacity are only likely to occur when the adjunct interventions enable patients to train at higher intensities during their general exercise-training programme.

Source: European Respiratory Journal - November 13, 2019 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Langer, D., Gosselink, R. Tags: Original Articles: Correspondence Source Type: research