Exertional Oxygen Supplementation Improves Leg Muscle Oxygenation and Neuromuscular Fatigue in Patients with Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease

Abstract

Supplemental oxygen (O 2 ) is widely used to alleviate activity-related dyspnea and improve exercise tolerance in patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (f-ILD). It remains unclear whether the salutary effects of O 2 on exercise tolerance

ERS International Congress 2023: highlights from the Respiratory Clinical Care and Physiology Assembly

“…Ambulatory O 2 supplementation may improve exercise capacity in this patient population despite no clear beneficial effects on dyspnoea [103,104]. In this context, Dr Mathieu Marillier (Grenoble, France) presented evidence that O 2 supplementation may have beneficial effects beyond the cardiopulmonary axis during exercise in f-ILDs, such as improved skeletal muscle [105,106] and brain functioning [107,108]. These studies thus offer a strong rationale for the use of O 2 during exercise in ILDs, regardless of which system or symptom is improved, in order to assist patients doing more daily physical exercise.…”