The ON-PACE Trial - Dietary nitrate supplementation to enhance daily physical activity in hypoxic COPD: a randomised controlled trial

ON-PACE is investigating whether a nutritional supplement, beetroot juice, is beneficial for people with the most severe form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We want to know if the supplement can improve their experience of day-to-day physical activity.

COPD is a common lung condition causing breathlessness, cough and limits daily activities like walking and housework.

Beetroot juice is high in nitrate which metabolises to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide influences how blood vessels work and how muscles use oxygen. We have shown that beetroot juice makes training programmes more effective in COPD patients and increases walking distance in hypoxic COPD patients.

The ON-PACE double-blinded RCT invites people with COPD using home oxygen to take 70mls beetroot juice or identical beetroot juice which has had the nitrate removed, every day for three months.

The main outcome measure is how ‘difficult’ participants find physical activity, using a measure developed specially for COPD called the “PROactive physical activity in COPD tool”.