Improve Muscle Weakness in Patient With COPD

Aerobic Exercise Combined With Blood Flow Restriction Improves Muscle Strength and Functional Capacity In Patients With Emphysematous COPD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of combining aerobic exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) training in patients with emphysematous chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study aimed to determine whether adding BFR to aerobic exercise could enhance muscle strength and functional capacity compared with conventional training alone. The findings demonstrated that aerobic exercise combined with BFR significantly improved lower-limb muscle strength, exercise tolerance, and functional performance in patients with emphysematous COPD. These results suggest that BFR-assisted aerobic training may serve as an effective and safe rehabilitation strategy to improve physical function and quality of life in this population.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Emphysema or COPD
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Aerobic Exercise Combined with Blood Flow Restriction; Other: Aerobic exercise

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: hanan mohamed; Phone Number: +962775661825; Email: h.hosny@zuj.edu.jo

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients diagnosed with emphysematous chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Clinically stable COPD patients with no acute exacerbation within the previous 4-6 weeks.
• Mild to moderate disease severity according to GOLD criteria.
• Ability to participate safely in aerobic exercise training.
• Medically stable and cleared by a physician for pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Ability to understand and follow study instructions.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Acute COPD exacerbation or respiratory infection during the study period.
• Severe cardiovascular diseases (e.g., unstable angina, uncontrolled hypertension, recent myocardial infarction).
• Peripheral vascular disease or contraindications to blood flow restriction (BFR) training.
• Severe musculoskeletal, neurological, or orthopedic disorders limiting exercise performance.
• Cognitive impairment affecting cooperation or informed consent.
• Participation in another structured rehabilitation program during the study period.
• Severe hypoxemia requiring continuous oxygen therapy during exercise.
• History of deep vein thrombosis or clotting disorders.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: experimental group; aerobic exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) training Procedure: Aerobic Exercise Training Device: Blood Flow Restriction Cuff	Other: Aerobic Exercise Combined with Blood Flow Restriction; Aerobic exercise combined with blood flow restriction (BFR) is a rehabilitation technique in which patients perform low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as treadmill or cycling training, while a specialized cuff is applied around the proximal part of the limb to partially restrict blood flow. This method aims to enhance muscle strength and functional performance using lower exercise intensity, making it suitable for patients with limited exercise tolerance, such as individuals with COPD.
Experimental: control group; aerobic exercise	Other: Aerobic exercise; The control group performed conventional aerobic exercise training at low to moderate intensity without the application of blood flow restriction. The program included activities such as treadmill walking or cycling to improve cardiovascular endurance, functional capacity, and overall physical fitness in patients with COPD.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
muscle strength	quadriceps strength by isokinetic: Quadriceps strength will be measured using an isokinetic dynamometer at an angular velocity of 60°/s. Participants will perform three to five maximal concentric knee extension efforts after familiarization. Peak torque (Nm) will be recorded, and the highest value will be used for statistical analysis	8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
function capacity	Functional capacity will be assessed using the 1-Minute Sit-to-Stand Test (1STS). Participants will be instructed to sit and stand from a standard chair as many times as possible within one minute without using their upper limbs for assistance. The total number of completed repetitions will be recorded, with higher scores indicating better functional capacity.	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 10, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 14, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 11, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 11, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: aerobic exercise; emphysematous COPD; lood flow restriction (BFR)
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Emphysema; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Exercise
• Other Study ID Numbers: COPD

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No