  We report a study of the pressure effect (PE) on the in-plane magnetic field
penetration depth lambda_{ab} in YBa_2Cu_4O_8 by means of Meissner fraction
measurements. A pronounced PE on lambda_{ab}^{-2}(0) was observed with a
maximum relative shift of \Delta\lambda^{-2}_{ab}/\lambda^{-2}_{ab}= 44(3)% at
a pressure of 10.2 kbar. It arises from the pressure dependence of the
effective in-plane charge carrier mass and pressure induced charge carrier
transfer from the CuO chains to the superconducting CuO_2 planes. The present
results imply that the charge carriers in YBa_2Cu_4O_8 are coupled to the
lattice.
