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Effects of 4 weeks of low-load unilateral resistance training, with and without blood flow restriction, on strength, thickness, V wave, and H reflex of the soleus muscle in men

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Abstract

Purpose

To test the effects of 4 weeks of unilateral low-load resistance training (LLRT), with and without blood flow restriction (BFR), on maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), muscle thickness, volitional wave (V wave), and Hoffmann reflex (H reflex) of the soleus muscle.

Methods

Twenty-two males were randomly distributed into three groups: a control group (CTR; n = 8); a low-load blood flow restriction resistance training group (BFR-LLRT; n = 7), who were an inflatable cuff to occlude blood flow; and a low-load resistance training group without blood flow restriction (LLRT; n = 7). The training consisted of four sets of unilateral isometric LLRT (25% of MVC) three times a week over 4 weeks.

Results

MVC increased 33% (P < 0.001) and 22% (P < 0.01) in the trained leg of both BFR-LLRT and LLRT groups, respectively. The soleus thickness increased 9.5% (P < 0.001) and 6.5% (P < 0.01) in the trained leg of both BFR-LLRT and LLRT groups, respectively. However, neither MVC nor thickness changed in either of the legs tested in the CTR group (MVC −1 and −5%, and muscle thickness 1.9 and 1.2%, for the control and trained leg, respectively). Moreover, V wave and H reflex did not change significantly in all the groups studied (Vwave/M wave ratio −7.9 and −2.6%, and H max/M max ratio −3.8 and −4%, for the control and trained leg, respectively).

Conclusions

Collectively, the present data suggest that in spite of the changes occurring in soleus strength and thickness, 4 weeks of low-load resistance training, with or without BFR, does not cause any change in neural drive or motoneuronal excitability.

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Abbreviations

BFR:

Blood flow restriction

BFR-LLRT:

Low-load blood flow restriction resistance training

CNS:

Central nervous system

CSA:

Cross-sectional area

CTR:

Control group

H reflex:

Hoffmann reflex

iEMG:

Integrated EMG

LLRT:

Low-load resistance training

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

RM:

Repetition maximum

RM-ANOVA:

Repeated measures analysis of variance

SD:

Standard deviation

sEMG:

Surface electromyography

VA:

Voluntary activation

V wave:

Volitional wave

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the individuals who volunteered to participate in this study. This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant Ref. PSI2015-71061-P).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Campus de los Jerónimos s/n, Guadalupe, 30107, Murcia, Spain

    David Colomer-Poveda, Salvador Romero-Arenas, Antonio Vera-Ibáñez, Manuel Viñuela-García & Gonzalo Márquez

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  1. David Colomer-Poveda
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  2. Salvador Romero-Arenas
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  3. Antonio Vera-Ibáñez
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  4. Manuel Viñuela-García
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Correspondence to Gonzalo Márquez.

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Communicated by Anni Vanhatalo.

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Colomer-Poveda, D., Romero-Arenas, S., Vera-Ibáñez, A. et al. Effects of 4 weeks of low-load unilateral resistance training, with and without blood flow restriction, on strength, thickness, V wave, and H reflex of the soleus muscle in men. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 1339–1347 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3622-0

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