Blood flow restricted and traditional resistance training performed to fatigue produce equal muscle hypertrophy
Abstract
This study investigated the hypertrophic potential of load‐matched blood‐flow restricted resistance training ( BFR ) vs free‐flow traditional resistance training (low‐load TRT ) performed to fatigue. Ten healthy young subjects performed unilateral BFR and contralateral low‐load TRT elbow flexor dumbbell curl with 40% of one repetition maximum until volitional concentric failure 3 days per week for 6 weeks. Prior to and at 3 (post‐3) and 10 (post‐10) days post‐training, magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) was used to estimate elbow flexor muscle volume and muscle water content accumulation through training. Acute changes in muscle thickness following an early vs a late exercise bout were measured with ultrasound to determine muscle swelling during the immediate 0–48 h post‐exercise. Total work was threefold lower for BFR compared with low‐load TRT ( P < 0.001). Both BRF and low‐load TRT increased muscle volume by approximately 12% at post‐3 and post‐10 ( P < 0.01) with no changes in MRI ‐determined water content. Training increased muscle thickness during the immediate 48 h post‐exercise ( P < 0.001) and to greater extent with BRF ( P < 0.05) in the early training phase. In conclusion, BFR and low‐load TRT , when performed to fatigue, produce equal muscle hypertrophy, which may partly rely on transient exercise‐induced increases in muscle water content.
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Comparable increases in muscle size commonly are seen between traditional low-load training and low-load blood flow restriction training when sets are carried out to muscular failure.
“Indeed, comparable increases in muscle size commonly are seen between traditional low-load training and low-load BFR training when sets are carried out to muscular failure [59,60].”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [59]
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- Authors
- Farup, J., de Paoli, F., Bjerg, K., Riis, S., Ringgard, S., & Vissing, K.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Department of Biomedicine Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
- Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Vissing, K.
- Venue
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-01-21
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 754-763
- ISSN
- 0905-7188 (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0838
- OpenAlex
- W1713489898
- Cited by
- 195
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 7
- FWCI
- 36.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Gigtforeningen
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Keywords
- blood flow restriction, resistance training, muscle hypertrophy, low-load resistance training, muscle fatigue, elbow flexors, muscle volume, muscle water content, muscle swelling, exercise-induced muscle damage
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Arm, Electromyography, Female, Humans, Hypertrophy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Organ Size, Regional Blood Flow, Ultrasonography, Water, Muscle, Skeletal, Muscle Fatigue, Muscle Strength, Resistance Training, Young Adult, Myalgia
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