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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Jun 29;17(13):4674.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134674.

The Acute Impact of External Compression on Back Squat Performance in Competitive Athletes

Mariola Gepfert  1 , Michal Krzysztofik  1 , Maciej Kostrzewa  1 , Jakub Jarosz  1 , Robert Trybulski  2   3 , Adam Zajac  1 , Michal Wilk  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The Acute Impact of External Compression on Back Squat Performance in Competitive Athletes

Mariola Gepfert et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of external compression with blood flow restriction on power output and bar velocity changes during the back-squat exercise (SQ). The study included 10 judo athletes (age = 28.4 ± 5.8 years; body mass = 81.3 ± 13.1 kg; SQ one-repetition maximum (1-RM) 152 ± 34 kg; training experience 10.7 ± 2.3 years).

Methods: The experiment was performed following a randomized crossover design, where each participant performed three different exercise protocols: (1) control, without external compression (CONT); (2) intermittent external compression with pressure of 100% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) (EC-100); and (3) intermittent external compression with pressure of 150% AOP (EC-150). To assess the differences between conditions, the participants performed 3 sets of 3 repetitions of the SQ at 70% 1-RM. The differences in peak power output (PP), mean power output (MP), peak bar velocity (PV), and mean bar velocity (MV) between the three conditions were examined using repeated measures two-way ANOVA.

Results: The post hoc analysis for the main effect of conditions showed a significant increase in PP (p = 0.03), PV (p = 0.02), MP (p = 0.04), and MV (p = 0.03), for the EC-150, compared to the CONT. Furthermore, a statistically significant increase in PP (p = 0.04), PV (p = 0.03), MP (p = 0.02), and MV (p = 0.01) were observed for the EC-150 compared to EC-100. There were no significant changes in PP, PV, MP, and MV, between EC-100 and CONT conditions.

Conclusion: The results indicate that the use of extremely high-pressure external compression (150% AOP) during high-loaded (70% 1-RM) lower limb resistance exercise elicits an acute increase in power output and bar velocity.

Keywords: bar velocity; blood flow restriction; occlusion; performance; power output; resistance exercise.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The experimental design. Control, without external compression (CONT); external compression with pressure of 100% AOP (EC-100); external compression with pressure of 150% AOP (EC-150).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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