Effects of Different Blood Flow Restriction Training Modes on Body Composition and Maximal Strength of Untrained Individuals.

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to examine the impacts of absolute cuff pressure blood flow restriction (A-BFR) training and incremental cuff pressure blood flow restriction (I-BFR) training, under equal cuff pressures, on body composition and maximal strength among untrained adults. Additionally, we aimed to compare these effects with those observed in high-load resistance training (HL-RT).

METHODS

Thirty-three adults without prior professional sports or resistance training experience were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups ( = 11 per group) for an 8-week training program, held three times weekly. The A-BFR group trained with a 20% 1RM load and a cuff occlusion pressure set at 190 mmHg. The I-BFR group initiated training with an occlusion pressure of 160 mmHg, which incrementally increased by 20 mmHg every two weeks, with other conditions mirroring those of the A-BFR group. The HL-RT group trained with a 70% 1RM load.

RESULTS

All three groups demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in lower-body maximal strength ( < 0.01), with no significant differences observed among the groups ( > 0.05). A notable increase in left-leg muscle mass was seen across all groups ( < 0.05). However, total muscle mass, right-leg muscle mass, fat-free mass, BMI, bone mineral density, and bone mineral content remained relatively unchanged ( > 0.05), with no significant differences among the groups ( > 0.05). Only the HL-RT group exhibited a significant increase in left-leg thigh circumference ( < 0.05), while right-leg thigh circumference remained stable ( > 0.05), with no significant intergroup differences ( > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

While A-BFR and I-BFR did not yield statistically significant differences in overall training outcomes, A-BFR demonstrated a slightly stronger potential. A-BFR and I-BFR achieved comparable gains in muscle strength and improvements in body composition to those seen with HL-RT. However, HL-RT demonstrated more significant improvements in leg circumference.