Key result
Blood flow restriction combined with endurance exercise shows promising results for optimizing aerobic capacity and muscular endurance in athletes, particularly when high mechanical loading is not feasible.
Why the study?
There is growing interest in using blood flow restriction (BFR) during endurance exercise to improve aerobic capacity, but a synthesized overview of its effectiveness in athletes was needed.
Does blood flow restriction endurance exercise improve endurance performance and aerobic capacity in athletes?
Does blood flow restriction endurance exercise improve endurance performance and aerobic capacity in athletes?
Integrating blood flow restriction training into endurance exercise regimens holds potential for optimizing aerobic capacity in athletes.
May support BFR use in athlete training; hypothesis-generating and requires RCTs before practice change.
The development and advancement of sports training over time have been accompanied by continuous innovations, which significantly contribute to improving athletic performance. In this process, research has played a crucial role in understanding the effectiveness of various training methods, including blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise, which is increasingly gaining attention due to its potential to enhance athletic performance. BFR training can be implemented in both: resistance exercise and endurance exercise. The studies discussed indicate a growing interest in the application of BFR through endurance type of exercise to enhance aerobic capacity. This narrative review examined the role of BFR training in enhancing endurance performance by reviewing relevant literature. We performed a comprehensive search on PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords such as “Blood Flow Restriction”, “endurance exercise”, “aerobic capacity”, and “athletes”. The focus was on peer-reviewed articles published in the last decade that investigated the effects of BFR training on endurance and aerobic capacity, specifically within athletic populations. Studies included in this review were selected based on their relevance to BFR training and its impact on endurance performance, while those not directly related to BFR or involving non-athlete populations were excluded. Key findings concerning BFR training protocols and their impact on endurance metrics were summarized. This review aims to provide an overview of the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of BFR training in endurance exercise and its potential implications for optimizing athletic performance. These investigations adopting BFR training show promising results, with several studies reporting significant improvements in key physiological parameters such as maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂ max) and muscular endurance. Overall evidence suggests that integrating BFR training into endurance exercise training regimens holds potential for optimizing aerobic capacity in athletes.
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Arčon et al. (2025) conducted a review in Endurance performance in athletes. Blood flow restriction (BFR) endurance exercise vs. Endurance exercise without BFR was evaluated on Aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and endurance performance. Blood flow restriction combined with endurance exercise shows promising results for optimizing aerobic capacity and muscular endurance in athletes, particularly when high mechanical loading is not feasible.
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