Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

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

References

  • Abe T, Yasuda T, Midorikawa T, Sato Y, Kearns CF, Inoue K, Koizumi K, Ishii N (2005) Skeletal muscle size and circulating IGF-1 are increased after two weeks of twice daily “KAATSU” resistance training. Int J Kaatsu Train Res 1:6–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abe T, Kearns CF, Sato Y (2006) Muscle size and strength are increased following walk training with restricted venous blood flow from the leg muscle, Kaatsu-walk training. J Appl Physiol 100:1460–1466

    Google Scholar 

  • Berneis K, Ninnis R, Haussinger D, Keller U (1999) Effects of hyper- and hypoosmolality on whole body protein and glucose kinetics in humans. Am J Physiol 276:E188–E195

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bigland-Ritchie B, Cafarelli E, Vollestad NK (1986) Fatigue of submaximal static contractions. Acta Physiol Scand Suppl 556:137–148

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borg GA (1973) Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc 14:377–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Burd NA, West DW, Staples AW, Atherton PJ, Baker JM, Moore DR, Holwerda AM, Parise G, Rennie MJ, Baker SK, Phillips SM (2010) Low-load high volume resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis more than high-load low volume resistance exercise in young men. PLoS One 9:e12033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen J (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavior sciences, 2nd edn. Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, pp 273–406

    Google Scholar 

  • de Salles BF, Simão R, Miranda F, Novaes Jda S, Lemos A, Willardson JM (2009) Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports Med 39:765–777

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fahs CA, Loenneke JP, Thiebaud RS, Rossow LM, Kim D, Abe T, Beck TW, Feeback DL, Bemben DA, Bemben MG (2014) Muscular adaptations to fatiguing exercise with and without blood flow restriction. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging [Epub ahead of print]

  • Fry CS, Glynn EL, Drummond MJ, Timmerman KL, Fujita S, Abe T, Dhanani S, Volpi E, Rasmussen BB (2010) Blood flow restriction exercise stimulates mTORC1 signaling and muscle protein synthesis in older men. J Appl Physiol 108:1199–1209

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fujita T, Brechue WF, Kurita K, Sato Y, Abe T (2008) Increased muscle volume and strength following six days of low-intensity resistance training with restricted muscle blood flow. Int J Kaatsu Train Res 4:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Häussinger D, Roth E, Lang F, Gerok W (1993) Cellular hydration state: an important determinant of protein catabolism in health and disease. Lancet 22:1330–1332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karabulut M, Abe T, Sato Y, Bemben MG (2010) The effects of low-intensity resistance training with vascular restriction on leg muscle strength in older men. Eur J Appl Physiol 108:147–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kubo K, Komuro T, Ishiguro N, Tsunoda N, Sato Y, Ishii N, Kanehisa H, Fukunaga T (2006) Effects of low-load resistance training with vascular occlusion on the mechanical properties of muscle and tendon. J Appl Biomech 22:112–119

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Rossow LM, Abe T, Bemben MG (2012a) The anabolic benefits of venous blood flow restriction training may be induced by muscle cell swelling. Med Hypotheses 78:151–154

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Rossow LM, Sherk VD, Thiebaud RS, Abe T, Bemben DA, Bemben MG (2012b) Effects of cuff width on arterial occlusion: implications for blood flow restricted exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 112:2903–2912

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Thiebaud RS, Rossow LM, Abe T, Ye X, Kim D, Bemben MG (2012c) The acute muscle swelling effects of blood flow restriction. Acta Physiol Hung 99:400–410

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loenneke JP, Wilson JM, Marin PJ, Zourdos MC, Bemben MG (2012d) Low intensity blood flow restriction training: a meta-analysis. Eur J Appl Physiol 112:1849–1859

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Rossow LM, Thiebaud RS, Mattocks KT, Abe T, Bemben MG (2013) Blood flow restriction pressure recommendations: a tale of two cuffs. Front Physiol 10:249

    Google Scholar 

  • Martín-Hernández J, Marín PJ, Menéndez H, Loenneke JP, Coelho-e-Silva MJ, García-López D, Herrero AJ (2013) Changes in muscle architecture induced by low load blood flow restricted training. Acta Physiol Hung 100:411–418

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, West DW, Burd NA, Breen L, Baker SK, Phillips SM (2012) Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. J Appl Physiol 113:71–77

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moritani T, Muro M, Nagata A (1986) Intramuscular and surface electromyogram changes during muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol 60:1179–1185

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nosaka K, Newton M (2002) Difference in the magnitude of muscle damage between maximal and submaximal eccentric loading. J Strength Cond Res 16:202–208

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ogasawara R, Loenneke JP, Thiebaud RS, Abe T (2013) Low-load bench press training to fatigue results in muscle hypertrophy similar to high-load bench press training. Int J Clin Med 4:114–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sato Y (2005) The history and future of kaatsu training. Int J Kaatsu Train Res 1:1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stull GA, Kearney JT (1978) Recovery of muscular endurance following submaximal, isometric exercise. Med Sci Sports 10:109–112

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Takarada Y, Takazawa H, Sato Y, Takebayashi S, Tanaka Y, Ishii N (2000) Effects of resistance exercise combined with moderate vascular occlusion on muscular function in humans. J Appl Physiol 88:2097–2106

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thiebaud RS, Yasuda T, Loenneke JP, Abe T (2013) Effects of low-intensity concentric and eccentric exercise combined with blood flow restriction on indices of exercise-induced muscle damage. Interv Med Appl Sci 5:53–59

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yasuda T, Brechue WF, Fujita T, Sato Y, Abe T (2008) Muscle activation during low-intensity muscle contractions with varying levels of external limb compression. J Sports Sci Med 7:467–474

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yasuda T, Brechue WF, Fujita T, Shirakawa J, Sato Y, Abe T (2009) Muscle activation during low-intensity muscle contractions with restricted blood flow. J Sports Sci 27:479–489

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yasuda T, Abe T, Brechue WF, Iida H, Takano H, Meguro K, Kurano M, Fujita S, Sato Y, Nakajima T (2010a) Venous blood gas and metabolite response to low-intensity muscle contractions with external limb compression. Metabolism 59:1510–1519

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yasuda T, Fujita S, Ogasawara R, Sato Y, Abe T (2010b) Effects of low-intensity bench press training with restricted arm muscle blood flow on chest muscle hypertrophy: a pilot study. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 30:338–343

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yasuda T, Ogasawara R, Sakamaki M, Ozaki H, Sato Y, Abe T (2011) Combined effects of low-intensity blood flow restriction training and high-intensity resistance training on muscle strength and size. Eur J Appl Physiol 111:2525–2533

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yasuda T, Loenneke JP, Thiebaud RS, Abe T (2012) Effects of low-intensity blood flow restricted concentric or eccentric training on muscle size and strength. PLoS One 12:e52843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yasuda T, Fukumura K, Fukuda T, Uchida Y, Iida H, Meguro M, Sato Y, Yamasoba T, Nakajima T (2014) Muscle size and arterial stiffness after blood flow-restricted low-intensity resistance training in older adults. Scand J Med Sci Sports 24:799–806

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

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.

Author information

Authors and 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
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kazuya Fukumura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Haruko Iida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Toshiaki Nakajima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomohiro Yasuda.

Additional information

Communicated by William J. Kraemer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

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

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3073-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation