Key Points
- This research aims to compare the effects of blood flow-restricted resistance exercise and high-load resistance exercise on strength and vascular function.
- Healthy adults performed leg extension exercises with blood flow restriction (BFRE) or high-load exercise (HLE) 3 days/week for 4 weeks, at 30% and 80% of strength, respectively.
- Measurements included strength, pulse-wave velocity, ankle-brachial index, and markers of coagulation and inflammation before and after the training period.
- Both exercise groups underwent evaluation of fibrinolytic activity after the first and last exercise sessions.
- Strength increased by 8% with BFRE and 13% with HLE (P<0.01).
- No significant changes were found in pulse-wave velocity, ankle-brachial index, prothrombin time, or nerve conduction after training (P>0.05).
- tPA antigen increased by 30-40% after both exercise types (P=0.01), with no changes in fibrinogen, D-dimer, or hsCRP observed (P>0.05).
Structured PICO
Does 4 weeks of low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction safely increase strength compared to high-load resistance exercise in young, healthy adults?
PPopulationYoung, healthy adults
IIntervention4 weeks of low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFRE) (leg extension 3 days/week at 30% of strength, cuff inflated to 30% above systolic blood pressure)
CComparatorHigh-load resistance exercise (HLE) (leg extension 3 days/week at 80% of strength)
OOutcomeChanges in strength, pulse-wave velocity (PWV), ankle-brachial index (ABI), prothrombin time (PT) and nerve conduction (NC) after 4 weeks of trainingsurrogate
Low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction safely increases strength without altering nerve, vascular, coagulation, or inflammation markers in healthy adults.