Journal of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation
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J Cardiopulm Rehabil · May 2003
Questioning the use of heart rate and dyspnea in the prescription of exercise in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
This study examined the heart rate and dyspnea responses during constant submaximal lower limb endurance exercise in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to determine the appropriateness of using target heart rate or dyspnea for the prescription of endurance exercise intensity. ⋯ Setting heart rate and dyspnea targets for endurance training at an intensity equivalent to 60% VO(2peak) may be inappropriate for subjects with moderate to severe COPD because heart rate and dyspnea increase independently of workload at this intensity.