Deadlift performance and blood lactate underthree and six cuff cycle protocols in cross trainingpractitioners

Introduction: Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and blood flow restriction (BFR) have been investigated for their potential ergogenic effects on neuromuscular performance; however, protocols remain heterogeneous, and evidence regarding their efficacy in functional multi-joint exercises—such as the deadlift in cross-training practitioners—is inconclusive. Objective: To describe deadlift performance and blood lactate under protocols with three or six cuff cycles and a no-cycle control condition in cross-training practitioners. Methods: Fourteen adults (28.7 ± 6.6 years) took part in an experimental crossover study involving all three conditions. Performance was assessed as the number of deadlift repetitions completed in 60 seconds at 30% of estimated one-repetition maximum; in the cuff conditions, the test was performed with the cuff inflated to 50% of arterial occlusion pressure. Blood lactate was measured before and after exercise. Results are presented descriptively as means and standard deviations. Results: Mean post-test repetition counts were 52.7 ± 2.9 for the control condition, 53.6 ± 4.2 for the three-cycle condition and 58.4 ± 2.9 for the six-cycle condition. Mean pre- to post-test lactate changes were 3.0 ± 1.4, 3.7 ± 1.4 and 2.8 ± 1.7 mmol/L, respectively. Conclusion: The six-cycle condition had the highest reported mean repetition count, and blood lactate increased numerically in all conditions. These descriptive findings do not establish the superiority of six cycles or a specific ergogenic effect of ischemic preconditioning.