PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine whether exercise training adds to the benefit of a dyspnea self-management (DM) program; and (2) to determine if there is a “dose response” to supervised exercise training (0, 4, or 24 sessions) in dyspnea, exercise performance, and health-related quality of life.

METHODS: Subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 103, 46 men, 57 women; age 66 ± 8 years; forced expiratory volume in 1 second 44.8 ± 14% predicted) were randomized to DM, DM-exposure, or DM-training. Dyspnea self-management included individualized education about dyspnea management strategies, a home-walking prescription, and daily logs. Outcomes were measured at baseline and 2 months as part of a 1-year longitudinal randomized clinical trial. Outcomes included dyspnea during laboratory exercise and with activities of daily living (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire [CRQ]), Shortness of Breath Questionnaire, Baseline/Transitional Dyspnea Index), exercise performance (incremental treadmill tests (ITTs) and endurance treadmill tests (ETTs), 6-minute walk (6MW), and health-related quality of life (SF-36).

RESULTS: The DM-training group had significantly greater improvements than the DM-exposure and the DM groups in dyspnea at isotime during ITT (P = .006); exercise performance during ITT (P = .005), ETT (P = .003), and 6MW (P = .01); SF-36 Vitality (P = .031); and CRQ mastery (P = .007). There was a dose-dependent improvement in CRQ dyspnea scores (P < .05) with significant improvements only in the DM-training and DM-exposure groups.

CONCLUSION: Exercise training substantially improved the impact of a dyspnea self-management program with a home walking prescription (DM). This impact tended to be dependent on the “dose” of exercise.