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Oral β-Alanine Supplementation in Patients With COPD

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: beta-alanine
Dietary Supplement: placebo
Other: control
Registration Number
NCT02770417
Lead Sponsor
Hasselt University
Brief Summary

Preliminary evidence suggest that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from lower-limb muscle dysfunction. This may, at least in part, be due to a combination of physical inactivity and muscle oxidative stress. Pilot data (not published) clearly show that patients with COPD have significantly lower carnosine, which is a pH (acidity-basicity level) buffer and antioxidant, levels in the m. vastus lateralis compared to healthy subjects. Beta-alanine supplementation has shown to increase muscle carnosine in trained and untrained healthy subjects. This study will assess if muscle carnosine can be augmented by beta-alanine supplementation in 40 COPD patients (20 patients receive beta-alanine, 20 patients receive placebo). 10 healthy elderly controls will also be assessed to compare baseline muscle carnosine levels.

The aims of this study are to:

1. Investigate baseline muscle carnosine levels to confirm the pilot data in a larger sample of patients with COPD compared with healthy elderly subjects

2. Investigate if beta-alanine supplementation augments muscle carnosine in COPD patients and whether it has an influence on exercise capacity, lower-limb muscle function and quality of life

3. To investigate baseline and post supplementation structural and metabolic muscle characteristics and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in COPD patients and it's association with muscle carnosine levels

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
60
Inclusion Criteria
  • COPD: diagnosis of moderate to very severe COPD according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines
  • Healthy controls: forced expiratory volume at one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) > 0.7, matched for age and gender
Exclusion Criteria
  • The presence of known instable cardiac disease
  • neurological disease and/or musculoskeletal disease that preclude safe participation in an exercise test
  • a history of drugs/alcohol abuse
  • vegetarianism
  • inability to understand the Flemish language.

COPD-specific exclusion criteria:

  • COPD exacerbation and/or hospitalization in the last 6 weeks
  • participation in pulmonary rehabilitation in the previous 12 months.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
COPD (beta-alanine)beta-alanine-
COPD (placebo)placebo-
Healthy controlscontrol-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
muscle carnosinechange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of high pressure liquid chromatography(HPLC)-analysis of a muscle biopsy

maximal exercise capacitychange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of an incremental maximal cycle test

submaximal exercise capacitychange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of a constant-work rate cycle test

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Functional exercise test 2change from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of a 4 meter gait test

Muscle function hand gripchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of measuring hand grip strength

Functional exercise test 1change from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of a 6 minutes walk test

Muscle function quadricepschange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of measuring quadriceps (isometric and isokinetic knee extension-flexion)

Blood parameters maximal exercise testchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of obtaining venous blood before and after the maximal cycle test. Blood parameters will be measured with dedicated methodology.

Quality of life: generalchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of the "Euroqol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) generic questionnaire"

Respiratory muscle functionchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of measuring respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure)

Comorbidities: ankle-brachial pressure indexchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of ankle-brachial pressure index

Comorbidities body composition 1change from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of bio-electrical impedance

Comorbiditieschange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of Charlson Morbidity index

Physical activity: questionnaire 1change from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of physical activity monitoring via "Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire"

Lung functionchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of general pulmonary function (spirometry, long volumes, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide).

Muscle characteristicschange from baseline to 12 weeks

Structural and metabolic parameters will be measured with dedicated methodology

Comorbidities blood pressurechange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure

Quality of life: fatiguechange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of the "Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory"

Blood parameters submaximal exercise testchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of obtaining venous blood before, during and after the constant-work rate cycle test. Blood parameters will be measured with dedicated methodology.

Blood parameters fasted statechange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of obtaining fasting venous blood. Blood parameters will be measured with dedicated methodology.

Quality of life: dyspneachange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of the " Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea grade"

Heart functionchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of resting ECG testing

Comorbidities body composition 2change from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of whole body dual X-ray absorptiometry

Quality of life: anxiety and depressionchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of the "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale"

Physical activity: accelerometerchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of physical activity monitoring via Actigraph (accelerometer)

Physical activity: questionnaire 2change from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of physical activity monitoring via "Modified Baecke questionnaire"

Quality of life: COPDchange from baseline to 12 weeks

by means of the "COPD assessment test"

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Jessa Ziekenhuis (ReGo)

🇧🇪

Hasselt, Belgium

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