Low-intensity Resistance Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction for Improving the Skeletal Muscle

AbstractIntroduction: The blood flow restriction method is a training method that is based on the partial occlusion of circulation during a workout. This technique combines low-intensity exercise with the occlusion of the bloodstream which produces results similar to high-intensity training.Aim: We aimed to identify the areas in which this method is applicable, its potential benefits and effects, recommendations regarding the rules of use for maximal effects (dosage, intensity, etc.), and also possible contraindications or warnings regarding the use of this method.Methods: We have analyzed a number of 20 articles on this topic from the field literature of the last 10 years, using ”google academic” as a search engine.Results: After this study we concluded that blood flow restriction is a method with wide applicability in the field of sports training, but also in the recovery process; however, it requires attention in choosing the necessary equipment. For healthy individuals, best training adaptations occur when combining low-load blood flow restriction resistance exercise with traditional high-load resistance exercise.Conclusion: Low-intensity resistance exercise with blood flow restriction is as effective as high-intensity training (for strength and muscle mass gains), but only the high-intensity protocol promotes significant hypotensive responses after exercise.

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Blood Flow Restriction during Low-Intensity Resistance Exercise Increases Muscle Protein Synthesis through the mTOR Signaling Pathway

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000273025.20580.1b ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 39 (Supplement) ◽

pp. S36

Author(s):

Satoshi Fujita ◽

Takashi Abe ◽

Micah J. Drummond ◽

Jerson G. Cadenas ◽

Hans C. Dreyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Protein Synthesis ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Muscle Protein ◽

Muscle Protein Synthesis ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Mtor Signaling Pathway ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity

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Effect of multiple set on intramuscular metabolic stress during low-intensity resistance exercise with blood flow restriction

European Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1007/s00421-012-2377-x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 112 (11) ◽

pp. 3915-3920 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Tadashi Suga ◽

Koichi Okita ◽

Shingo Takada ◽

Masashi Omokawa ◽

Tomoyasu Kadoguchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Metabolic Stress ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity

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Muscle Tissue Oxygenation and Force Production during Low-intensity Resistance Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000323607.22590.68 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 40 (Supplement) ◽

pp. S295-S296

Author(s):

Satoshi Fujita ◽

Naoto Kimura ◽

Masato Sugaya ◽

Hayao Ozaki ◽

Yoshiaki Sato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Muscle Tissue ◽

Tissue Oxygenation ◽

Force Production ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity

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Change In Temperature Of Active Muscle During Low-intensity Resistance Exercise With Blood Flow Restriction.

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000355999.80944.a5 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

pp. 475

Author(s):

Riki Ogasawara ◽

Masato Sugaya ◽

Mikako Sakamaki ◽

Satoshi Fujita ◽

Hayao Ozaki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Active Muscle ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity

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Near-infrared spectroscopy during low-intensity blood flow restriction resistance exercise

Revista Brasileira de Fisiologia do Exercício ◽

10.33233/rbfex.v20i5.4748 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 552-561

Author(s):

Claudia Mello Meirelles ◽

Claudio Souza Aguiar Junior ◽

Paulo Sergio Chagas Gomes

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Knee Extension ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity ◽

Rest Intervals

Introduction: Low-intensity resistance exercises with blood flow restriction are known to be effective in promoting muscular strength and hypertrophy; however, there is a paucity of evidence on their acute hemodynamic responses. Objective: To compare the changes in muscular oxyhemoglobin (O2Hb), deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) concentrations, and O2 saturation (StO2) during low load exercise under free blood flow (FreeBF) and blood flow restriction (BFR). Methods: Fifteen healthy males were subjected to bilateral knee extension tests under FreeBF and BFR conditions, in a random order. The knee extension exercise included four sets of 15 repetitions at 20% of one-repetition maximum, with 30s interval between the sets. In the BFR condition, subjects exercised with a cuff positioned on the proximal thigh and inflated to 50% of total occlusion pressure. Changes in the O2Hb, HHb, total hemoglobin (tHb), and StO2 in vastus lateralis muscle were monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy. Results: A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects for sets for all variables (P < 0.05). Moreover, the values in StO2 during sets 2, 3, and 4 in BFR conditions were significantly lower than those in freeBF. Significant differences were also seen between the exercise conditions during rest intervals for HHb (rest intervals 2, 3, and 4) and tHb (rest interval 3; P < 0.05). There were no significant interactions between conditions and sets or conditions and intervals for O2Hb. Conclusion: Low-intensity resistance exercise performed with BFR significantly decreased the acute muscle StO2 and increased total muscle hemoglobin.

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Reactive hyperemia is not responsible for stimulating muscle protein synthesis following blood flow restriction exercise

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.01267.2011 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 112 (9) ◽

pp. 1520-1528 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

David M. Gundermann ◽

Christopher S. Fry ◽

Jared M. Dickinson ◽

Dillon K. Walker ◽

Kyle L. Timmerman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Protein Synthesis ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Muscle Protein ◽

Muscle Protein Synthesis ◽

Reactive Hyperemia ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity ◽

Mtorc1 Signaling

Blood flow restriction (BFR) to contracting skeletal muscle during low-intensity resistance exercise training increases muscle strength and size in humans. However, the mechanism(s) underlying these effects are largely unknown. We have previously shown that mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling and muscle protein synthesis (MPS) are stimulated following an acute bout of BFR exercise. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that reactive hyperemia is the mechanism responsible for stimulating mTORC1 signaling and MPS following BFR exercise. Six young men (24 ± 2 yr) were used in a randomized crossover study consisting of two exercise trials: low-intensity resistance exercise with BFR (BFR trial) and low-intensity resistance exercise with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a pharmacological vasodilator infusion into the femoral artery immediately after exercise to simulate the reactive hyperemia response after BFR exercise (SNP trial). Postexercise mixed-muscle fractional synthetic rate from the vastus lateralis increased by 49% in the BFR trial ( P < 0.05) with no change in the SNP trial ( P > 0.05). BFR exercise increased the phosphorylation of mTOR, S6 kinase 1, ribosomal protein S6, ERK1/2, and Mnk1-interacting kinase 1 ( P < 0.05) with no changes in mTORC1 signaling in the SNP trial ( P > 0.05). We conclude that reactive hyperemia is not a primary mechanism for BFR exercise-induced mTORC1 signaling and MPS. Further research is necessary to elucidate the cellular mechanism(s) responsible for the increase in mTOR signaling, MPS, and hypertrophy following acute and chronic BFR exercise.

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