Both resistance and endurance exercise may be combined with blood flow restriction to provide a broad range of adaptations in skeletal muscle, benefitting both muscular strength and endurance qualities concurrently, which are necessary for athletic performance in most sports. |
High-frequency blocks of blood flow restriction training may also selectively target satellite cells and promote myonuclear accretion, thereby priming skeletal muscle to attain greater hypertrophy in subsequent blocks of traditional high-load training. |
Practitioners and coaches may also use blood flow restriction exercise in their periodisation models to supplement or de-load from traditional high-intensity training, or to accelerate recovery from musculoskeletal injury. |
Further research is warranted to optimise these approaches in athletic cohorts and to evaluate their practical merit. |
1 Introduction
2 Phenotypic Adaptations to Training
2.1 Adaptations Towards a Strength and Power Phenotype
2.2 Adaptations Towards an Endurance Phenotype
3 Postulated Mechanisms of Action
3.1 Anabolic Signalling and Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis
3.2 Ribosomal Biogenesis
3.3 Satellite Cell and Myonuclear Responses
3.4 Mitochondrial and Angiogenic Responses
3.5 Fibre-Type Specificity
4 Athletic Applications
Desired outcome | BFR applications | Type of sport/athlete |
---|---|---|
Improve muscular development | Supplemental BFR training (resistance training) | Team sports (e.g. soccer, netball, rugby) Racquet sports (e.g. tennis, squash) Centimetre, gram, second sports (e.g. powerlifting, track and field, swimming) Combat sports (e.g. mixed martial arts, boxing)a |
Sport-specific BFR training | ||
High-frequency BFR block during off-season or pre-season | ||
Improve local muscular endurance Increase capillary formation [87] | Supplemental BFR training (resistance training) | Team sports (e.g. soccer, netball, rugby) Racquet sports (e.g. tennis, squash) Endurance sports (e.g. triathlon, long course cycling) Centimetre, gram, second sports (e.g. powerlifting, track and field, swimming) Combat sports (e.g. mixed martial arts, boxing) |
Supplemental BFR training (endurance training) | ||
Sport-specific BFR training | ||
High-frequency BFR block during off-season or pre-season | ||
Improve aerobic capacity Increase running economy [97] | Supplemental BFR training (endurance training) | Team sports (e.g. soccer, netball, rugby) Racquet sports (e.g. tennis, squash) Endurance sports (e.g. triathlon, long course cycling) Combat sports (e.g. mixed martial arts, boxing) |
Sprint interval training with BFR during recovery periods | ||
Sport-specific BFR training | ||
Support musculoskeletal rehabilitation | Cyclical BFR during passive rest or NMES | Team sports (e.g. soccer, netball, rugby) Racquet sports (e.g. tennis, squash) Endurance sports (e.g. triathlon, long course cycling) Centimetre, gram, second sports (e.g. powerlifting, track and field, swimming) Combat sports (e.g. mixed martial arts, boxing) |
BFR applied during walking or low-intensity cycling | ||
BFR combined with bodyweight exercises and light resistance | ||
Supplemental BFR training (resistance training) | ||
Improve performance in sport-specific tasks Improved change of direction [140] | Supplemental BFR training (resistance training) | Team sports (e.g. soccer, netball, rugby) Racquet sports (e.g. tennis, squash) |
High frequency BFR blocks | ||
Sport-specific BFR trainingb | ||
Training load management Improvements in hypertrophy, strength, power, and endurance with reduced volume [111] | Supplemental BFR training (resistance training) | Endurance sports (e.g. triathlon, long course cycling) Centimetre, gram, second sports (e.g. powerlifting, track and field, swimming) |
Supplemental BFR training (endurance training) | ||
High-frequency BFR blocks | ||
BFR during low-volume high-intensity priming exercise | Centimetre, gram, second sports (e.g. powerlifting, track and field, swimming) |