Impact of Five Weeks of Strengthening Under Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) or Supplemental Oxygen Breathing (Normobaric Hyperoxia) on the Medial Gastrocnemius
2024

Effects of Strength Training with Blood Flow Restriction and Oxygen Supplementation

Sample size: 36 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Grégory Vervloet, Lou Fregosi, Arthur Gauthier, Pierre Grenot, Costantino Balestra, Tsoukos Athanasios

Primary Institution: Haute Ecole Bruxelles-Brabant (HE2B)

Hypothesis

Both training modalities will lead to similar improvements in strength and muscle volume.

Conclusion

Both BFR and oxygen supplementation are effective in enhancing strength with light loads, though they elicit different structural and perceptual responses.

Supporting Evidence

  • All groups demonstrated significant increases in maximal voluntary contraction after five weeks.
  • The BFR-isometric group showed increased calf circumference.
  • The 3/7 groups exhibited significant fascicle length gains.
  • Perceived exertion was consistently higher in BFR groups compared to oxygen supplementation.

Takeaway

This study looked at two ways to help muscles get stronger: one with less blood flow and one with extra oxygen. Both worked well, but they felt different for the people doing the exercises.

Methodology

Participants were divided into groups and underwent a five-week training program with different strengthening methods and oxygen conditions, measuring various muscle parameters.

Potential Biases

Potential biases due to the lack of a control group and the self-reported nature of perceived exertion.

Limitations

The absence of a control group and unsupervised training sessions on weekends may have influenced the results.

Participant Demographics

36 young healthy participants (21 females, 15 males) aged 21 on average.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3390/jfmk9040258

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