Oxygen with exercise in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia

Supplemental oxygen either 35% through a venturi mask, or 60% through a breathing circuit. A venturi mask, also known as an air-entrainment mask, is a medical device worn over the mouth and nose, that delivers a known oxygen concentration to patients. It is attached via long tubing to an oxygen cylinder during the endurance shuttle walk testing. The breathing circuit is routinely used in cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a stationary bike, allowing investigators to measure oxygen uptake and expired carbon dioxide. It is also a convenient way of delivering supplemental oxygen during such testing. It has a mouthpiece much like scuba diving apparatus and is secured to the patient via a support frame over the head. These two devices will only be worn during the exercise tests, (10 to 30 minutes in duration). As per trial protocol, this is a crossover study, where each individual will perform 2 endurance shuttle walk tests (1 on oxygen via venturi mask, the other on air (sham) via venturi mask). The same individuals will also perform 2 maximal exercise tests on a stationary bike (1 on oxygen via breathing circuit, the other on air (sham) via breathing circuit). Crossover from intervention to placebo or vice versa will occur not less than 24 hours apart, and not greater than 28days apart. The washout period required for supplemental oxygen is only 15 to 20 minutes, but the 24 hours between testing is to allow complete recovery from the exercise itself.