The Study
Carnosine, oxidative and carbonyl stress, antioxidants and muscle fiber characteristics of quadriceps muscle of patients with COPD.
This study looked at a chemical in the muscles of people with COPD and noticed that those with worse COPD tended to have less of it. But it didn’t change anything to see if that caused the problem — it just noticed a pattern. So we can say they’re linked, but we don’t know if low carnosine makes COPD worse or if worse COPD makes carnosine drop.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Carnosine is a muscle chemical that helps with energy and fighting stress. In severe COPD, this chemical drops even though muscles should have more of it because of their fiber type.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Lower carnosine may mean muscles fatigue faster during activity, explaining why severe COPD patients struggle more with walking or climbing stairs, even if their lungs aren't the only problem.
- 2Severe COPD patients had 31% less carnosine in their leg muscles than mild COPD patients.
- 3Carnosine levels linked to better endurance (rs=0.427), oxygen use (rs=0.334), and physical activity (rs=0.379).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of applied physiology
Year
2021
Authors
J. de Brandt, C. Burtin, P. Pomiès, F. Vandenabeele, K. Verboven, J. Aumann, L. Blancquaert, I. Everaert, L. Van Ryckeghem, Jirka Cops, M. Hayot, M. Spruit, W. Derave
Related Content
Claims (6)
People with advanced COPD have less carnosine in their muscles than those with milder COPD, even though their muscles have more fast-twitch fibers, which are normally linked to higher carnosine levels.
Carnosine is found in higher amounts in muscle fibers that are used during short, intense bursts of activity like sprinting or weightlifting.
Patients with advanced COPD have 31% less carnosine in their thigh muscles compared to patients with milder COPD, even when the type of muscle fibers is the same.
People with COPD have the same levels of carnosine in their muscles as healthy people of the same age and sex, even though their muscle endurance is lower and they have more fast-twitch muscle fibers. This means low carnosine is not a general feature of COPD but may depend on how severe the disease is.
In people with COPD, higher levels of carnosine in muscles are linked to better performance in leg endurance, higher peak oxygen uptake, and greater levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
In people with COPD, the amount of carnosine in muscles is not linked to levels of protein damage caused by oxidative or carbonyl stress.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.