Patients who develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a loss of elastic recoil of the lungs, have remodeling in the airways and pulmonary vasculature, develop inhomogeneities in ventilation (VA) and perfusion (Qc) and gradually lose their reserves for producing expiratory flow, particularly over the mid to lower lung volumes. As a result, they develop air trapping, have slowed expiration, and gradually hyperinflate with a large residual volume, an exaggerated total lung capacity, reduced vital capacity, and markedly reduced maximal expiratory flows. With exercise, patients with moderate to severe COPD are further challenged by the need for increased ventilation. Expiring against the narrowed airways results in breathing at higher and higher lung volumes until the elastic load on inspiration increases the work and cost of breathing to the point where exercise discontinues. It remains controversial if this scenario leads to primarily dyspnea from the weak and heavily recruited inspiratory muscles, inspiratory muscle fatigue or if a primary limitation might be related to the relatively large cardiac output required for the respiratory muscles, at the expense of the locomotor muscles, resulting in leg fatigue. The expiratory load also increases intrathoracic pressure and reduces the gradient for venous return, thus having the potential to reduce cardiac output. Pulmonary hypertension develops and may influence blood flow to the left side of the heart further inhibiting cardiac output. The ineffective inspiratory pressure generation by the diaphragm may also reduce the typical benefits of the respiratory muscle pump on venous return and the marked hyperinflation may influence left ventricular filling due to competition for intrathoracic space. Thus, although COPD primarily influences the respiratory system, we believe it has profound effects on cardiac function, and during exercise this may play a particular limitation. Use of a long-acting anticholinergic agent such as Tiotropium partially reverses airway obstruction (expiratory load) and hyperinflation, both potentially improving cardiovascular function. The focus of this research will be to determine influence of Tiotropium on cardiac parameters measured both at rest and during exercise.