Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Dec 31:65:249-260.
doi: 10.2478/hukin-2018-0101. eCollection 2018 Dec.

Technical and Training Related Aspects of Resistance Training Using Blood Flow Restriction in Competitive Sport - A Review

Michal Wilk  1 , Michal Krzysztofik  1 , Mariola Gepfert  1 , Stanislaw Poprzecki  2 , Artur Gołaś  1 , Adam Maszczyk  1
Affiliations

Technical and Training Related Aspects of Resistance Training Using Blood Flow Restriction in Competitive Sport - A Review

Michal Wilk et al. J Hum Kinet. .

Abstract

Blood flow restriction (BFR) combined with resistance training (RT-BFR) shows significant benefits in terms of muscle strength and hypertrophy. Such effects have been observed in clinical populations, in groups of physically active people, and among competitive athletes. These effects are comparable or, in some cases, even more efficient compared to conventional resistance training (CRT). RT-BFR stimulates muscle hypertrophy and improves muscle strength even at low external loads. Since no extensive scientific research has been done in relation to groups of athletes, the aim of the present study was to identify technical, physiological and methodological aspects related to the use of RT-BFR in competitive athletes from various sport disciplines. RT-BFR in groups of athletes has an effect not only on the improvement of muscle strength or muscle hypertrophy, but also on specific motor abilities related to a particular sport discipline. The literature review reveals that most experts do not recommend the use RT-BFR as the only training method, but rather as a complementary method to CRT. It is likely that optimal muscle adaptive changes can be induced by a combination of CRT and RT-BFR. Some research has confirmed benefits of using CRT followed by RT-BFR during a training session. The use of BFR in training also requires adequate progression or modifications in the duration of occlusion in a training session, the ratio of exercises performed with BFR to conventional exercises, the value of pressure or the cuff width.

Keywords: occlusion; resistance exercise; sports performance; training variables.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abe T, Kawamoto K, Yasuda T, Kearns CF, Midorikawa T, Sato Y. Eight days KAATSU resistance training improved sprint but not jump performance in collegiate male track and field athletes. Int J KAATSU Train Res. 2005;1:19–23.
    1. Abe T, Kearns CF, Sato Y. Muscle size and strength are increased following walk training with restricted venous blood flow from the leg muscle, KAATSU-walk training. 2006; J Appl Physiol. 1985;100:1460–1466. - PubMed
    1. Buckner SL, Dankel SJ, Counts BR, Jessee MB, Mouser JG, Mattocks KT, Laurentino GC, Abe T, Loenneke JP. Influence of cuff material on blood flow restriction stimulus in the upper body. J Physiol Sci. 2017;67:207–215. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cook CJ, Kilduff LP, Beaven CM. Improving strength and power in trained athletes with 3 weeks of occlusion training. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2014;9:166–172. - PubMed
    1. Cook SB, Murphy BG, Labarbera KE. Neuromuscular function after a bout of low-load blood flow-restricted exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45:67–74. - PubMed