Key result
Blood flow restricted resistance training increased peak upper body strength by 9.17 kg compared to a 6.17 kg increase with conventional training, though the between-group difference was not statistically significant.
Why the study?
The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of blood flow restricted resistance training against traditional resistance training for improving upper body strength in young males.
Does Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Training improve peak upper body strength in young males compared to conventional resistance training?
RCT (n=60)
Odd-even method
No
Does Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Training improve peak upper body strength in young males compared to conventional resistance training?
Effect estimate: Cohen's d 0.215 (95% CI -7.033 to 3.367)
Absolute Event Rate: 89.5% vs 87.67%
p-value: p=0.476
Low-load Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Training is an effective method for enhancing upper body strength in young males, though it did not show statistically significant superiority over volume-matched conventional low-load training in this study.
BFRRT was not superior to conventional training for upper body strength gains in young males; leaves open its incremental benefit when heavy loads are limited.
Introduction. Various strength training methods exist, with Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Training (BFRRT) emerging as a novel approach. This study aimed to compare BFRRT effectiveness against traditional resistance training for improving upper body strength in young males. Material and Methods. Sixty male participants (18-26 years) were assigned to the experimental group or the control group that received BFRRT or conventional resistance training respectively (n = 30 each). Both groups completed four weeks of bench press training (three sessions weekly) with the BFRRT group applying cuff pressures at 40-80% of arterial occlusion pressure. Upper body strength was assessed using 1-repetition maximum bench press testing before and after 4 weeks of intervention. Data were analysed using GraphPad Prism (version 9.5.1). Paired sample t-test was used to analyse within-group data and independent-samples t-test was used to analyse between-group differences. Results. The BFRRT group demonstrated strength increases from 80.33 ± 8.19 kg to 89.50 ± 8.23 kg (Δ = 9.17 kg; p < 0.05). The control group improved from 81.50 ± 9.11 kg to 87.67 ± 8.78 kg (Δ = 6.17 kg; p < 0.05). Although within-group gains were significant for both protocols, between-group comparison did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Conclusions. Both training methods enhanced upper body strength effectively, with BFRRT demonstrating greater improvement potential. BFRRT integration into resistance programs may optimize strength development in young adults.
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Ansari et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Healthy young males (n=60). Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Training (BFRRT) vs. Conventional resistance training (volume-matched, without cuff inflation) was evaluated on Peak upper body strength (1-repetition maximum bench press) (Cohen's d 0.215, 95% CI -7.033 to 3.367, p=0.476). Blood flow restricted resistance training increased peak upper body strength by 9.17 kg compared to a 6.17 kg increase with conventional training, though the between-group difference was not statistically significant.
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