The effects of moderate blood flow restriction induced by KAATSU on muscle activation, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion during low-intensity aerobic exercise:

End-stage kidney disease is associated with reduced exercise capacity, muscle atrophy, and impaired muscle function. While these may be improved with exercise, single modalities of exercise do not traditionally elicit improvements across all required physiological domains. Blood flow-restricted exercise may improve all of these physiological domains with low intensities traditionally considered insufficient for these adaptions. Investigation of this technique appeals, but is yet to be evaluated, in patients undergoing dialysis. With the use of a progressive crossover design, 10 satellite patients undergoing hemodialysis underwent three exercise conditions over 2 wk: two bouts (10 min) of unrestricted cycling during two consecutive hemodialysis sessions ( condition 1), two bouts of cycling with blood flow restriction while off hemodialysis on 2 separate days ( condition 2), and two bouts of cycling with blood flow restriction during two hemodialysis sessions ( condition 3). Outcomes included hemodynamic responses (heart rate and blood pressure) throughout all sessions, participant-perceived exertion and discomfort on a Borg scale, and evaluation of ultrafiltration rates and dialysis adequacy (Kt/V) obtained post hoc. Hemodynamic responses were consistent regardless of condition. Significant increases in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure ( P < 0.05) were observed postexercise followed by a reduction in blood pressures during the 60-min recovery (12, 5, and 11 mmHg for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures, respectively). Blood pressures returned to predialysis ranges following the recovery period. Blood flow restriction did not affect ultrafiltration achieved or Kt/V. Hemodynamic safety and tolerability of blood flow restriction during aerobic exercise on hemodialysis is comparable to standard aerobic exercise.

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Stable recovery during and after 6-week aerobic exercise with limbs blood flow restriction and body cooling in post-concussion syndrome

Neurology ◽

10.1212/01.wnl.0000550609.82644.1a ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 91 (23 Supplement 1) ◽

pp. S20.2-S20

Author(s):

Yi-Ning Wu ◽

Jessica Gravel ◽

Matthew White ◽

Josh Avery ◽

Terrie Enis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Blood Flow ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Human Growth ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Intervention Period ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Body Cooling ◽

Exercise Induced ◽

Experimental Group

Recent research has shown that exercise can improve post-concussion symptoms. It might be because exercise-induced human growth hormone enhances the brain function and recovery. Exercise under blood flow restriction (BFR) and cooling triggers physiologic responses at a relatively low intensity that might be beneficial to individuals with PCS and requires further investigation. Therefore, our ongoing study is to examine the outcomes of aerobic exercise with (experimental) or without (control) BFR and cooling. Twenty-three participants with PCS less than 1 year were randomly assigned to the control or the experimental groups. Both groups rode the recumbent bike (NuStep) for 30 minutes at 60% of the predicted heart rate while only the experimental group exercised under BFR and cooling (Vasper system) twice a week for 6 weeks followed by 6 weeks of no intervention. In addition to the aerobic exercise, each participant received the standardized physical therapy as part of the 6-week intervention. A post-concussion Symptoms/Signs checklist was filled daily by the participant for 12 weeks. To examine the symptoms fluctuations, the variances of checklist scores for each participant during the intervention period and over the 6 weeks of no intervention were calculated. Mann-Whitney U test showed that variability of the overall symptom severity was significantly less in the experimental group (p = 0.01) during the intervention period, and the overall concussion load remained significantly stable in the experimental group (p = 0.02) after the intervention ended. These preliminary results have demonstrated that aerobic exercise with BFR and cooling enhances the recovery of PCS. Aerobic exercise alleviated the post-concussion symptoms of individuals with PCS less than 1 year. More stable recovery was found in the individuals who exercised at 60% of predicted maximum heart rate under BFR and body cooling as compared to the individuals without body cooling and BFR.

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Blood-Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise Promotes Lower Pain and Ratings of Perceived Exertion Compared With Either High- or Low-Intensity Resistance Exercise Performed to Muscular Failure

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.2018-0030 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (7) ◽

pp. 706-710 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Manoel E. Lixandrão ◽

Hamilton Roschel ◽

Carlos Ugrinowitsch ◽

Maira Miquelini ◽

Ieda F. Alvarez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Perceived Exertion ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽

Exercise Session ◽

Pain Response ◽

Repetition Maximum ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity

Context: Given the comparable muscle hypertrophy constantly observed between blood-flow restriction exercise (BFR-RE) and conventional resistance exercise, understanding their particular rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and pain may help to better prescribe exercise at a low-discomfort level, thus increasing its feasibility. Design: Randomized crossover study. Objective: To compare the RPE and pain response between conventional high- (HI-RE) and low-intensity resistance exercise (LI-RE) protocols to failure with a nonmuscular failure LI-RE associated with BFR-RE. Participants: A total of 12 men (age: 20 [3] y; body mass: 73.5 [9] kg; height: 174 [6] cm). Interventions: Four sets of 45° leg-press exercises in 3 different conditions: (1) BFR-RE (15 repetitions; 30% 1-repetition maximum), (2) HI-RE (80% 1-repetition maximum to muscular failure), and (3) LI-RE (30% 1-repetition maximum to muscular failure). Main Outcome Measures: RPE and pain were assessed immediately before exercise session and after the end of each of the 4 sets. Results: RPE and pain levels increased throughout the exercise sets for all RE protocols (all, Ps < .05). HI-RE and LI-RE protocols showed similar increase in RPE and pain levels during all exercise sets (P < .05); however, both protocols demonstrated higher RPE and pain response compared with BFR-RE after each of the 4 sets (all Ps < .05 between-group comparisons). Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that both HI-RE and LI-RE to muscular failure resulted in similar and significant increases in RPE and pain levels, regardless of exercise intensity. In addition, nonmuscular failure BFR-RE also increased RPE and pain response, however, to a lower extent compared with either HI-RE or LI-RE.

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Does Peripheral Lower Body Blood Flow Restriction Training Effect Aerobic Adaptations in Recreationally Active Adults? A Case Series

Journal of Exercise and Nutrition ◽

10.53520/jen2022.103109 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Austin Bennett ◽

Sean Collins ◽

Kaitlyn King ◽

Caitlyn Harper ◽

Jill Lucas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Blood Flow ◽

Perceived Exertion ◽

Case Series ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Aerobic Performance ◽

Target Tissue ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Active Adults

Introduction: Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a novel training method that has been shown to promote positive aerobic and anaerobic adaptations under low intensity exercise by inhibiting blood flow to target tissue resulting in hypoxia and metabolic byproduct accumulation. This has been shown to have a direct positive effect on aerobic performance adaptation. The purpose was to explore the effect of BFR training on aerobic performance. Methods: Seven recreationally active adults were randomly assigned to either the BFR group (n=4, BFR) or non-BFR group (n=3, CON). Three testing sessions were conducted throughout the study (Pre-Test, Mid-Test, Post-Test) which consisted of a graded cycle ergometer maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) test using COSMED-K5 indirect calorimetry. Eleven BFR training sessions were performed consisting of 20-min of cycling at 35-45% of heart rate reserve (HRR) with at 60% (BFR) or 5% (CON) arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) on the BFR cuffs. Results: Absolute VO2max, Relative VO2max, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), maximum heart rate (HRmax), and maximum rate of perceived exertion (RPEmax) reported no significant difference between BFR and CON. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) found in time to reach VO2max and maximum watts (Wmax) reached which declined over the course of the training intervention. Conclusions: Bilateral lower limb aerobic BFR training resulted in no change in VO2max over seven weeks.

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Blood Flow Restriction Increases the Neural Activation of the Knee Extensors During Very Low-Intensity Leg Extension Exercise in Cardiovascular Patients: A Pilot Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8081252 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (8) ◽

pp. 1252

Author(s):

Hayato Ishizaka ◽

Azusa Uematsu ◽

Yuta Mizushima ◽

Naohiro Nozawa ◽

Satoshi Katayanagi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Eccentric Contraction ◽

Blood Flow Restriction ◽

Emg Activity ◽

Electromyographic Activity ◽

Leg Extension ◽

Flow Restriction ◽

Low Intensity ◽

Cardiovascular Patients

Blood flow restriction (BFR) has the potential to augment muscle activation, which underlies strengthening and hypertrophic effects of exercise on skeletal muscle. We quantified the effects of BFR on muscle activation in the rectus femoris (RF), the vastus lateralis (VL), and the vastus medialis (VM) in concentric and eccentric contraction phases of low-intensity (10% and 20% of one repetition maximum) leg extension in seven cardiovascular patients who performed leg extension in four conditions: at 10% and 20% intensities with and without BFR. Each condition consisted of three sets of 30 trials with 30 s of rest between sets and 5 min of rest between conditions. Electromyographic activity (EMG) from RF, VL, and VM for 30 repetitions was divided into blocks of 10 trials and averaged for each block in each muscle. At 10% intensity, BFR increased EMG of all muscles across the three blocks in both concentric and eccentric contraction phases. At 20% intensity, EMG activity in response to BFR tended to not to increase further than what it was at 10% intensity. We concluded that very low 10% intensity exercise with BFR may maximize the benefits of BFR on muscle activation and minimize exercise burden on cardiovascular patients.

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