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
. 2022 Aug 25;58(9):1154.
doi: 10.3390/medicina58091154.

Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Technique on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: A Systematic Review

Sandra Rodrigues  1 , Pedro Forte  2   3   4 , Eva Dewaele  1 , Luís Branquinho  2   4 , José E Teixeira  3   4 , Ricardo Ferraz  4   5 , Tiago M Barbosa  3   4 , António M Monteiro  3   4
Affiliations

Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Technique on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: A Systematic Review

Sandra Rodrigues et al. Medicina (Kaunas). .

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The effect of the blood flow restriction technique (BFR) on delayed onset muscular soreness (DOMS) symptoms remains unclear. Since there is no consensus in the literature, the aim of the present study is to systematically identify and appraise the available evidence on the effects of the BFR technique on DOMS, in healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: Computerized literature search in the databases Pubmed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Cochrane and PEDro to identify randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of blood flow restriction on delayed onset muscular soreness symptoms. Results: Eight trials met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review, presenting the results of 118 participants, with a mean methodological rating of 6/10 on the PEDro scale. Conclusions: So far, there is not enough evidence to confirm or refute the influence of BFR on DOMS, and more studies with a good methodological basis are needed, in larger samples, to establish protocols and parameters of exercise and intervention. Data analysis suggests a tendency toward the proinflammatory effect of BFR during high restrictive pressures combined with eccentric exercises, while postconditioning BFR seems to have a protective effect on DOMS. Prospero ID record: 345457, title registration: "Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Technique on the Prevention of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: A Systematic Review".

Keywords: DOMS; blood flow restriction; delayed onset muscular soreness; tissue flossing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prisma flowchart of included studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Heiss R., Lutter C., Freiwald J., Hoppe M.W., Grim C., Poettgen K., Forst R., Bloch W., Hüttel M., Hotfiel T. Advances in Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)—Part II: Treatment and Prevention. Sportverletz Sportschaden. 2019;33:21–29. doi: 10.1055/a-0810-3516. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mueller-Wohlfahrt H.-W., Haensel L., Mithoefer K., Ekstrand J., English B., McNally S., Orchard J., van Dijk C.N., Kerkhoffs G.M., Schamasch P., et al. Terminology and classification of muscle injuries in sport: The Munich consensus statement. Br. J. Sports Med. 2013;47:342–350. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091448. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cheung K., Hume P.A., Maxwell L. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Sports Med. 2003;33:145–164. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200333020-00005. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cohen J., Cantecorp K. Les DOMS: Compréhension d’un mécanisme en vue d’un traitement masso-kinésithérapique préventif: DOMS: Understanding the mechanism to enable preventive physiotherapy. Kinésithér. Rev. 2011;11:15–20. doi: 10.1016/S1779-0123(11)75110-5. - DOI
    1. Miles M.P., Clarkson P.M. Exercise-induced muscle pain, soreness, and cramps. J. Sports Med. Phys. Fit. 1994;34:203–216. - PubMed

Publication types