Application and effects of blood flow restriction training

Abstract

Blood flow restriction (BFR) limits arterial and venous blood flow and leads to blood pooling, which could increase exercise-induced training effects. Strength training at lower intensities (20-30% of maximum strength) in combination with BFR showed similar effects on muscle hypertrophy as training with 70% without BFR. Low-intensity cycling endurance training with BFR improves muscle hypertrophy and endurance performance and activates angiogenesis. After determination of the complete occlusion pressure on the corresponding extremity, it is recommended that BFR training should be performed with 40-80% of the measured occlusion pressure. During strength training of the upper extremities, an occlusion of 60-80% leads to areduction in the arterial blood flow by 20-50%. Local ischemia and hypoxia, a stronger metabolic stimulus, swelling of the muscle cells and the increased oxidative stress are discussed as causes for the increased training effects due to BFR. In short-term studies, comparable adjustments to parameters of fibrinolytic activity, coagulation and inflammation could be observed for strength training with and without BFR. So far, thromboses after BFR have been described only rarely but need to be further clarified by appropriate studies. The BFR training leads to astronger activation of the muscular metabolic reflex and thus to arelatively greater increase in exercise blood pressure, so that cardiovascular parameters should be controlled during BFR training. First meta-analyses with small numbers of healthy people and patients indicate the effectiveness of BFR training. Standardization or guidelines for clinical use are still lacking.