Key result
Low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction increased muscle cross-sectional area without inducing muscle edema, whereas high-load training caused significant edema (P<0.0001).
Why the study?
It was unclear whether early increases in quadriceps cross-sectional area with low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction were driven by hypertrophy or edema-induced swelling compared to high-load resistance training.
Does low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction compared to high-load resistance training induce muscle hypertrophy without edema in healthy untrained men?
RCT (n=15)
within-subject
Does low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction compared to high-load resistance training induce muscle hypertrophy without edema in healthy untrained men?
p-value: p=< .05
Early increases in muscle cross-sectional area with low-load blood flow restriction training occur without muscle edema, unlike high-load resistance training which induces both hypertrophy and edema.
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LL-BFR enables early hypertrophy without edema in untrained men; extends evidence distinguishing true growth from swelling versus high-load training.
Shiromaru et al. (2019) conducted an RCT in Healthy (n=15). Low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction (LL-BFR) vs. High-load resistance training (HL-RT) was evaluated on Cross-sectional area (CSA) and edema-induced muscle swelling (p=< .05). Low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction increased muscle cross-sectional area without inducing muscle edema, whereas high-load training caused significant edema (P<0.0001).