Effects of Different Exercise Training Modalities in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Patients

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) including exercise training is highly effective by improving health-related quality of life, exercise capacity and symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, PR is a main component in the management of COPD. In a former study patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD)-related COPD (genotype PiZZ) have been found to show smaller improvements in exercise capacity after a 3-week inpatient PR program compared to COPD patients without A1ATD (genotype PiMM)\[1\]. These between-group differences were mirrored by missing adaptations of the fatigue-resistant skeletal muscle fibre type I in A1ATD patients. This was in contrast to COPD patients without A1ATD who increased the proportion of this fibre type after PR. Myofibre type I is crucial because it enables patients for physical endurance activities (walking, cycling etc.) during their daily life. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of an exercise Training program with high vs. moderate Training intensity in order to find a Training modality which improves Training effects in A1ATD patients.