Blood Flow Restriction

 
BFR treadmill.jpg
 

What is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training?

BFR is the act of safely restricting venous blood flow from a working muscle, but allowing arterial blood flow to that working muscle. This is done primarily with low intensity resistance training. Since the ability of that blood to escape is dramatically reduced, metabolic stress and cellular swelling are greatly increased.

 

Why all the buzz all about surrounding blood flow restriction training (BFR)? 

You should be asking yourself that as a patient. With almost 200 peer-reviewed articles in the scientific literature the efficacy and safety cannot be denied.

 By applying a pneumatic tourniquet to exercising limbs you can:

•      Increase strength

•      Increase hypertrophy

•      Increase VO2 Max

How can this benefit me? 

•      Drastically improve your post-surgical recovery time

•      Treat muscle atrophy in both acute and chronic pain conditions

•      Use as accessory work into programming for less stress on joints and tendons

•      Increase your VO2 Max with as little as 2x/week BFR training

•      Increased muscle size (Hypertrophy)

•      Increased muscle strength

•      Increased cardiovascular capacity

•      Increased GH, IGF1 and maybe testosterone

•      Decreased joint/tissue stress

•      Little to no muscle damage

•      Little to no recovery needed

•      Little to no soreness or delayed onset muscular soreness (DOMS)

•      Low Intensity needed (resistance or cardio)

 

How does it work?

•      Lack of venous return creates a swelling effect of the muscle.

•      Metabolites, such as lactate, accumulate and stimulate muscle growth.

•      Hypoxic environment promotes strength and muscle growth.

•      Direct muscle fatigue forces the nervous system to recruit the largest fast-twitch muscle fibers, which have the greatest capacity to grow.

•      Increase to Growth Hormone (GH) and Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1).

Who can benefit from BFR?

  • Mobility restricted populations

  • Pre and Post-operation rehabilitation patients

  • People with arthritic joint pain

  •  Athletes

  •   Active recovery

  •   Those needing strengthening with decreased joint/tissue loads

  •   Those needing Isolated exercises for “weak link” region

Are there any side effects to BFR?

Side effects and injury resulting from this type of training are rare. Possible side effects with inappropriate implementation:

  • numbness

  • Subcutaneous hemorrhage

REFERENCES

Loenneke JP, Abe T, Wilson JM, Ugrinowitsch C, & Bemben MG (2012) Blood flow restriction: how does it work? Frontiers in Physiology, 3, 392.

Loenneke JP, Wilson GJ, & Wilson JM (2010) A mechanistic approach to blood flow occlusion. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 31(1), 1-4.

Nakajima T. Key considerations when conducting KAATSU training. Int J KAATSU Train Res. 2011;7(1):1-6

Nakajima T. Use and safety of KAATSU training; results of a national survey. Int J KAATSU Train Res. 2006;2(1):5-13