Does very low-load training with blood flow restriction elicit similar muscle adaptations to high-load training?
Very low-load training with blood flow restriction can elicit similar changes in strength and muscle size as high-load training, but with a lower required workload, which may be beneficial in rehabilitative settings.
< 0.001). Generally, 70/0 was greater. Average weekly volume increased for all conditions across the 8 weeks, and was greatest for 70/0 followed by 15/0, 15/40, then 15/80. With the exception of 1RM, changes in strength and muscle size were similar regardless of load or restriction. The workload required to elicit these changes lowered with increased BFR pressure. These findings may be pertinent to rehabilitative settings, future research, and program design.
Jessee et al. (Tue,) studied this question.