Why the study?
Low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction is recommended as an alternative for individuals unable to perform high-load resistance exercise, but its acute effects on heart rate variability compared to traditional exercise required investigation.
Does low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction affect heart rate variability compared to traditional high-load resistance exercise in young recreational male participants?
Does low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction affect heart rate variability compared to traditional high-load resistance exercise in young recreational male participants?
Small acute study leaves BFR-RE versus HL-RE effects on HRV unresolved in young men; larger trials needed before practice consideration.
It is recommended that low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction be employed as an alternative method for individuals unable to perform traditional high-load resistance exercise. This study investigated the acute effects of low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR-RE) and traditional high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE) on heart rate variability. Sixteen recreational male participants aged 18-24 volunteered to participate in the study and 14 completed the study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups (BFR-RE:8, HL-RE:8). The BFR-RE group performed the leg press exercise (30-15-15-15 reps, 30-seconds rest between sets, 30% of 1RM) with BFR cuffs (60% of arterial occlusion pressure). The HL-RE group performed the same exercise (3 x 12 reps, 90 seconds rest between the sets, 70% 1RM) without BFR cuffs. Heart rate, variability, and time domain parameters were assessed using the POLAR H7 heart rate monitor with the Elite HRV mobile application. Twoway analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 2×2 repeated measures was used to analyze differences between groups. Significance was set at p
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Gürses et al. (2025) studied this question.
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