Effects of elastic tape on thoracoabdominal mechanics, dyspnea, exercise capacity, and physical activity level in nonobese male subjects with COPD

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) Vol. 129; no. 3; pp. 492 - 499
• Main Authors: Pinto, Thiago Fernandes, Fagundes Xavier, Rafaella, Lunardi, Adriana Claudia, Marques da Silva, Cibele Cristine Berto, Moriya, Henrique Takachi, Lima Vitorasso, Renato, Torsani, Vinicius, Amato, Marcelo Brito Passos, Stelmach, Rafael, Salge, João Marcos, Carvalho-Pinto, Regina Maria, Carvalho, Celso R.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Physiological Society 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Cross-Over Studies; Dyspnea; Electrical impedance; Evaluation; Exercise; Exercise Test; Exercise Tolerance; Exhaustion; Humans; Lung diseases; Male; Mechanical ventilation; Mechanics (physics); Obstructive lung disease; Optoelectronics; Oxygen consumption; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Physical training; Plethysmography; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Randomization; Respiration; Signs and symptoms; exercise capacity; physical capacity; dyspnea; respiratory mechanics; COPD
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601; 1522-1601
• DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00690.2019

Elastic tape can be used as a new and low-cost intervention to reduce thoracoabdominal asynchrony and sedentary behavior as well as improve exercise capacity and physical activity level in nonobese male subjects with severe-to-very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Subjects with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) present thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) that reduces ventilatory efficiency and exercise capacity. However, no therapeutic intervention has focused on reducing TAA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of elastic tape (ET) on thoracoabdominal mechanics, dyspnea symptoms, exercise capacity, and physical activity level in nonobese male subjects with severe-to-very severe COPD. This crossover, randomized trial included nonobese males with severe to very severe COPD. ET was placed on the chest wall and abdomen to reduce TAA. Subjects were evaluated at three hospital visits, each 7 days apart. At visit 1, thoracoabdominal kinematic and pulmonary ventilation were evaluated by optoelectronic plethysmography and electrical impedance tomography, respectively, both at rest and during isoload exercise testing. At visit 2, a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET; 10 W/min) was performed until exhaustion. Between the visits, subjects used a physical activity monitor (PAM) (at least 5 days of measurement; 10 h/day). At visit 3, all the tests were repeated in the opposite order of the previous randomization. During the isoload exercise, subjects with ET presented lower tidal and minute volumes ( P = 0.01) and reduced TAA ( P = 0.02) and dyspnea ( P = 0.04). During the CPET, subjects with ET presented an increase in peak oxygen consumption (V̇o 2peak ; L/min and mL·kg −1 ·min −1 ; P = 0.01), test duration ( P = 0.009), and maximal load ( P = 0.03). Moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), which was evaluated by the PAM, was also increased in subjects with ET ( P = 0.01). ET reduced TAA and dyspnea and increased exercise capacity and the duration of MVPA in nonobese male subjects with severe-to-very severe COPD NEW & NOTEWORTHY Elastic tape can be used as a new and low-cost intervention to reduce thoracoabdominal asynchrony and sedentary behavior as well as improve exercise capacity and physical activity level in nonobese male subjects with severe-to-very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.