Vastus lateralis biopsies from healthy and COPD patients before and after 3 weeks of endurance training

Study the effects of 3 weeks training exercise in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and healthy individuals. Skeletal muscle biopsies of 5 COPD patients (aged 63±2 year) and 3 age-matched healthy individuals were studied before and after 3 weeks of a supervised endurance training program. Samples were collected from open muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis of 5 COPD patients and 3 age-matched healthy individuals before and after 3 weeks of a supervised endurance training program. Patients and controls underwent an endurance exercise program on a cycloergometer 5 days a week for three consecutive weeks. One 1 h session/day was established in all subjects, with effective exercise periods of at least 30 min in each case.