Effects of Isometric Handgrip Exercise Training on Lung Function in COPD Patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v5i7.1929Keywords:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; isometric handgrip; resistance training; spirometry; FEV1; forced vital capacity; six-minute walk test; pulmonary rehabilitation.Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with persistent airflow limitation and systemic deconditioning that reduce exercise tolerance and worsen functional outcomes. Low-cost adjunct exercise modalities that can augment rehabilitation effects remain clinically relevant. Objective: To determine the effects of adding isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise training to resistance training on lung function and functional exercise capacity in COPD patients. Methods: A single-center, parallel-group randomized clinical trial enrolled 48 ambulatory patients with GOLD stage II–III COPD and randomized them to IHG plus resistance training (n=24) or resistance training alone (n=24) for 8 weeks. Spirometry outcomes included forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio, and functional capacity was assessed with the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Parametric analyses compared within-group pre–post changes and between-group post-intervention differences. Results: Both groups improved after intervention; however, the combined program produced larger post-intervention values. FEV1 was higher in the combined group (2.4047±0.4619 vs 1.9320±0.3823 L; MD 0.4727; 95% CI 0.2261–0.7193; p<0.01) and FVC was higher (3.4688±0.5834 vs 3.0949±0.4941 L; MD 0.3739; 95% CI 0.0596–0.6882; p=0.021). 6MWT distance was also higher (422.94±31.03 vs 391.58±24.00 m; MD 31.36; 95% CI 15.24–47.48; p<0.001). Conclusion: Adding IHG training to resistance exercise enhanced pulmonary function and walking capacity more than resistance training alone in GOLD II–III COPD. Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; isometric handgrip; resistance training; spirometry; FEV1; forced vital capacity; six-minute walk test; pulmonary rehabilitation.
Downloads
References
Liu Y. Trends in the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults aged ≥18 years — United States, 2011–2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72:1–7.
Viegi G, Maio S, Fasola S, Baldacci S. Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2020;33(4):1–12.
Global, regional, and national burden of chronic respiratory diseases and associated risk factors, 1990–2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023;10:1066804.
Update on the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1–14.
Maltais F, Decramer M, Casaburi R, Barreiro E, Burelle Y, Debigaré R, et al. An Official American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement: update on limb muscle dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2014;189(9):e15–e62.
Pulmonary rehabilitation and exercise training in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chest. 2018;153(2):1–12.
Adolfo JR, Dhein W, Sbruzzi G. Intensity of physical exercise and its effect on functional capacity in COPD: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Bras Pneumol. 2019;45(6):e20180011.
Albarrati AM, Gale NS, Munnery MM, Cockcroft JR, Shale DJ. Daily physical activity and related risk factors in COPD. BMC Pulm Med. 2020;20(1):60.
Fonseca J, Machado FVC, Santin LC, Andrello AC, Schneider LP, Fernandes Belo L, et al. Handgrip strength as a reflection of general muscle strength in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD. 2021;18(3):299–306.
Kyomoto Y, Asai K, Yamada K, Okamoto A, Watanabe T, Hirata K, et al. Handgrip strength measurement in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: possible predictor of exercise capacity. Respir Investig. 2019;57(5):499–505.
Wu ZY, Han YX, Niu ME, Chen Y, Zhang XQ, Qian HY. Handgrip strength is associated with dyspnoea and functional exercise capacity in male patients with stable COPD. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2019;23(4):428–32.
Mgbemena N, Jones A, Leicht AS. Relationship between handgrip strength and lung function in adults: a systematic review. Physiother Theory Pract. 2022;38(12):1908–27.
Godsday OU, Kingsley NE, Chukwuebuka NB, Ephraim C, Emmanuel E, Ejime AC, et al. Isometric handgrip exercise training improves spirometric parameters and pulmonary capacity. Pathophysiology. 2021;28(3):328–38.
Ponce MC, Sankari A, Sharma S. Pulmonary function tests. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023.
Robertson DS, Lee KM, López-Kolkovska BC, Villar SS. Response-adaptive randomization in clinical trials: from myths to practical considerations. Stat Sci. 2023;38(2):185–205.
Fell B, Hanekom S, Heine M. A modified six-minute walk test (6MWT) for low-resource settings: a cross-sectional study. Heart Lung. 2022;52:117–22.
Holden M, Fyfe M, Poulin C, Bethune B, Church C, Hepburn P, et al. Handgrip strength in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phys Ther. 2021;101(6):pzab057.
Jeong M, Kang HK, Song P, Park HK, Jung H, Lee SS, et al. Hand grip strength in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2017;12:2385–90.
Chen L, Liu X, Wang Q, Jia L, Song K, Nie S, et al. Better pulmonary function is associated with greater handgrip strength in a healthy Chinese Han population. BMC Pulm Med. 2020;20(1):114.
Tsuburai T, Komase Y, Tsuruoka H, Oyama B, Muraoka H, Hida N, et al. The relationship between peak inspiratory flow and hand grip strength measurement in men with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BMC Pulm Med. 2022;22(1):65.
Measuring and monitoring skeletal muscle function in COPD: current perspectives. COPD. 2019;16(1):1–12.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hajra Qazi, Dureshahwar, Hafsa Aziz, Hamaila Iqbal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Public Licensing Terms
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Under this license:
- You are free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) for any purpose, including commercial use.
- Attribution must be given to the original author(s) and source in a manner that is reasonable and does not imply endorsement. If changes were made to the material, this must be indicated.
- No additional restrictions may be applied that conflict with the terms of this license.
For more details, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
