Project R-14796

Innovative exercise training in patients with COPD: effects and mechanisms of supramaximal high-intensity interval training (Research)

The COPD-HIIT project aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of 12-weeks supramaximal HIIT compared to MICT on stationary bicycles in people with COPD and matched healthy controls, focusing on clinical outcomes including brain health, cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle function (PHASE 1). Further, we intend to examine the effects of a 24-months of exercise training (supramaximal HIIT or MICT) compared to standard care in people with COPD on the trajectories of neurodegeneration and assess the extent to which inflammation and exercise intensity impact neurodegeneration and exercise responses over time (PHASE 2). Through the COPD-HIIT project, we aim to lay the foundation for a ground-breaking approach to manage extrapulmonary manifestations in people with COPD and provide evidence delineating how to improve several important health factors in this disease. Additionally, we strive to explore if exercise effects and mechanisms are similar, or how they differ, between people with COPD and matched healthy controls.

07 March 2024 - 31 December 2028