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Effect of low-load resistance exercise with and without blood flow restriction to volitional fatigue on muscle swelling

European Journal of Applied Physiology volume 115, pages 919–926 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The effects on muscle swelling were compared between low-load resistance exercise to exhaustion with (BFR) and without blood flow restriction (NBFR).

Methods

Ten young men [aged 27 (SD 5) years, standing height 1.74 (SD 0.05) m, body mass 70.3 (SD 4.3) kg] performed 20 % of one repetition maximal dumbbell curl exercise to exhaustion (four sets, rest intervals were 30 s for BFR and/or 3 min for NBFR, respectively). One arm was randomly chosen for BFR exercise and the other arm performed NBFR exercise. During the BFR exercise session, an elastic cuff was worn proximally on the testing arm at 160 mmHg. Electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded from surface electrodes placed on the biceps brachii muscle and analyzed for integrated EMG (iEMG). Biceps brachii muscle thickness (MTH) was measured using B-mode ultrasound.

Results

The total number of exercise repetitions was greater (p < 0.01) in NBFR (221 ± 67 reps) than in BFR (111 ± 36 reps). During the exercise session, iEMG for biceps brachii muscles increased (p < 0.01) during BFR and NBFR (3.94 and 4.45 times of baseline value). Immediately after the exercise, MTH sharply increased (p < 0.01) with BFR and NBFR (1.21 and 1.20 times of baseline value). These results demonstrate that both BFR and NBFR exercises lead to pronounced muscle activation and muscle swelling.

Conclusion

Low-load resistance exercise to exhaustion is an effective method for promoting muscle swelling regardless of BFR. Furthermore, our data indicate that the increase in muscle swelling for both NBFR and BFR is maintained even 60 min after the exercise.

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Abbreviations

1-RM:

One repetition maximum

BFR:

Blood flow restriction

HL:

High-load resistance training

iEMG:

Integrated electromyography

MTH:

Muscle thickness

NBFR:

No blood flow restriction

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the participants who participated in this study. We also thank Yusuke Uchida, Seiya Oosumi, Kenji Kinpara, and Shinpei Sugimoto (Okamoto-Ishii Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan). This study was supported, in part, by Grant-in-aid (#25750288 and #20549604 to TY) from the Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the Descente Foundation. Our department is funded by KAATSU Japan Co., Ltd.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Ischemic Circulatory Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan

    Tomohiro Yasuda, Kazuya Fukumura, Haruko Iida & Toshiaki Nakajima

Authors
  1. Tomohiro Yasuda
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  2. Kazuya Fukumura
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  3. Haruko Iida
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  4. Toshiaki Nakajima
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Correspondence to Tomohiro Yasuda.

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Communicated by William J. Kraemer.

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Yasuda, T., Fukumura, K., Iida, H. et al. Effect of low-load resistance exercise with and without blood flow restriction to volitional fatigue on muscle swelling. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 919–926 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3073-9

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Keywords

  • Muscle thickness
  • Electromyography
  • Vascular occlusion
  • Biceps brachii
  • Metabolite