The effect of four weeks blood flow restricted resistance training on macro- and micro-vascular function in healthy,...

To determine the macrovascular and microvascular function responses to resistance training with blood flow restriction (BFR) compared to high-load resistance training (HLRT) control group.

Twenty-four young, healthy men were randomly assigned to BFR or HLRT. Participants performed bilateral knee extensions and leg presses 4 days per week, for 4 weeks. For each exercise, BFR completed 3 X 10 repetitions/day at 30% of 1-repetition max (RM). The occlusive pressure was applied at 1.3 times of individual systolic blood pressure. The exercise prescription was identical for HLRT, except the intensity was set at 75% of one repetition maximum. Outcomes were measured pre-, at 2- and 4-weeks during the training period. The primary macrovascular function outcome was heart-ankle pulse wave velocity (haPWV), and the primary microvascular function outcome was tissue oxygen saturation (StO₂) area under the curve (AUC) response to reactive hyperemia.

Knee extension and leg press 1-RM increased by 14% for both groups. There was a significant interaction effect for haPWV, decreasing - 5% (Δ-0.32 m/s, 95% confidential interval [CI] - 0.51 to - 0.12, effect size [ES] =  - 0.53) for BFR and increasing 1% (Δ0.03 m/s, 95%CI - 0.17 to 0.23, ES = 0.05) for HLRT. Similarly, there was an interaction effect for StO₂ AUC, increasing 5% (Δ47%･s, 95%CI - 3.07 to 98.1, ES = 0.28) for HLRT and 17% (Δ159%･s, 95%CI 108.23-209.37, ES = 0.93) for BFR group.

The current findings suggest that BFR may improve macro- and microvascular function compared to HLRT.