Abstract
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training has been a breakthrough in both practice and equipment used in the field of exercise science and rehabilitation. However, previous literature showed inconsistent findings regarding the effects of BFR training on muscle strength. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze how different types of BFR training influence muscular strength by means of a meta-analysis. METHODS: The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The following databases were used to conduct the research: Academic Search Complete, Medline, Web of Science, SPORT-Discus, HealthSource: Consumer, and HealthSource: Nursing. Search words used included “blood flow restriction” ∗ AND strength∗. The following search limited to full text articles, peer-reviewed academic journals, and published in the English language. Out of 327 articles, 25 were eligible to be included where 47 ESs were calculated. Comprehensive meta-analysis v.3 software was used to examine a random effect model and moderator analysis of the collected data. RESULTS: The results showed that BFR training had positive effects on skeletal muscle strength. The overall effect size (Cohen’s d) was .558 (95% CI=.385, .731) which yielded a medium effect. The moderator analysis identified a group difference in workload (15~60% (ES=.423, SE=.090), >60% (ES=1.004, SE=.181), Qbetween=9.008, df=2, p=.011. However, gender, intervention length, mode (upper body, lower body) and cuff type/pressure did not affect the muscular strength. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that BFR training has a moderate impact on increase of skeletal muscle strength. Also, the study identified that more than 60% of workloads in exercise result in greater strength gain compared to 15 to 60% workloads. The results of this meta-analysis can help design optimal exercise interventions to maximize increases in muscle strength through BFR training.
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