Eccentric Exercise Training as Novel Rehabilitation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

The main purpose of this project is to establish the additional value of eccentric versus concentric exercise to optimize muscle function in patients with severe COPD. With this pilot project the investigators expect that an eccentric endurance training protocol adapted to severe COPD patients will lead to gains in muscle strength, the primary outcome, and cellular adaptation (muscle morphology and oxidative capacity, mitochondrial respiratory capacity) when compared to a concentric training approach. This information will be essential if the investigators want to design and power a randomized clinical trial that will allow assessing effectiveness of this novel rehabilitation approach.