Pattern of breathing during exercise in patients with interstitial lung disease.

The responses to exercise were studied in 41 patients with pulmonary fibrosis, in whom vital capacity (VC) was reduced to 62% of predicted normal values. Maximum power output (POmax) was 53% predicted; there was a significant relationship between POmax and VC (r = 0.564). The maximum ventilation achieved during exercise was also related to VC (r = 0.614). Although arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) fell by more than 5% in 13 of 31 patients, …