Exercise in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is limited by dynamic hyperinflation and respiratory muscle overloadleading to severe dyspnea. During exercise, the increase in neural respiratory drive is notable to match ventilatory demand, correlated with breathlessness. Non-Invasive Ventilation may improve neural respiratory drive uncoupling and exercise tolerance. The aim of this study will be prove if Non-Invasive Ventilation and High flow nasal cannula during exercise reduces neural respiratory drive and improves dyspnea, measured with paraesternal electromyography
A constant load exercise during 10 minutes will be performed in a group of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients, in a basal condition (spontaneous breathing); under noninvasive mask ventilation and with high flow nasal cannula. With the aim of reducing dyspnea, increasing exercise tolerance, and unload respiratory muscles, three exercises will be compared in terms of use of respiratory muscles and neural drive measured with paraesternal electromyography.