Nutritional Rehabilitation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients With Muscle Atrophy

Rationale. Recent guidelines state that pulmonary rehabilitation should be part of integrated care of patients with COPD and not limited to end stage disease. The investigators hypothesize that clinically stable COPD patients muscle atrophy, irrespective of the severity of airflow obstruction, show more pronounced long-term improvement in physical functioning and cardiometabolic risk profile after a rehabilitation programme including nutritional intervention (supplementation and counseling) than after a pulmonary rehabilitation programme without nutritional intervention, at acceptable costs. Nutritional supplementation focuses on enhancing the efficacy of the exercise training. Nutritional counseling aims at maintaining energy balance and modulating cardiovascular disease risk. Study design. The research aims will be addressed in a multi-centre, randomized, clinical trial. Phase A, Rehabilitation (4 months): * Group 1: Supervised exercise training and 3 placebo nutritional supplements daily * Group 2: Supervised exercise training and 3 nutritional supplements daily Phase B, Maintenance (8 months): * Group 1: Exercise counseling (2x) * Group 2: Exercise counseling (2x), nutritional counseling (5x) (and 1 nutritional supplement a day on indication) Phase C, Follow-up (3 months): * Group 1: no intervention * Group 2: 1 nutritional supplement a day on request Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation and benefits. This study aims to tailor pulmonary rehabilitation. Participants of group 1 are visiting their rehabilitation centre 3 times for study related measurements within 15 months (2 times feedback on physical activity, 1 measurement visit). Participants of group 2 will be asked to visit their rehabilitation centre for 6 times (1 measurement visit, 3 times nutritional counseling, 1 time for feedback on physical activity, 1 time for nutritional counseling and feedback on physical activity combined) within 15 months. For both groups baseline measurements and outcome measurements after rehabilitation are already included in the CIRO rehabilitation programme.