Determinants of the diminished exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: looking beyond the lungs

Key points Peak oxygen uptake, a primary determinant of prognosis, mortality and quality of life, is diminished in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with mounting evidence supporting an important role for peripheral dysfunction, particularly within skeletal muscle. In patients with severe COPD and activity‐matched controls, muscle oxygen transport and utilization were assessed at peak effort during single‐leg...