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Low-intensity resistance training with blood flow restriction improves vascular endothelial function and peripheral blood circulation in healthy elderly people

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Abstract

Purpose

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of low-intensity resistance training with blood flow restriction (BFR resistance training) on vascular endothelial function and peripheral blood circulation.

Methods

Forty healthy elderly volunteers aged 71 ± 4 years were divided into two training groups. Twenty subjects performed BFR resistance training (BFR group), and the remaining 20 performed ordinary resistance training without BFR. Resistance training was performed at 20 % of each estimated one-repetition maximum for 4 weeks. We measured lactate (Lac), norepinephrine (NE), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and growth hormone (GH) before and after the initial resistance training. The reactive hyperemia index (RHI), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and transcutaneous oxygen pressure in the foot (Foot-tcPO2) were assessed before and after the 4-week resistance training period.

Results

Lac, NE, VEGF and GH increased significantly from 8.2 ± 3.6 mg/dL, 619.5 ± 243.7 pg/mL, 43.3 ± 15.9 pg/mL and 0.9 ± 0.7 ng/mL to 49.2 ± 16.1 mg/dL, 960.2 ± 373.7 pg/mL, 61.6 ± 19.5 pg/mL and 3.1 ± 1.3 ng/mL, respectively, in the BFR group (each P < 0.01). RHI and Foot-tcPO2 increased significantly from 1.8 ± 0.2 and 62.4 ± 5.3 mmHg to 2.1 ± 0.3 and 68.9 ± 5.8 mmHg, respectively, in the BFR group (each P < 0.01). VWF decreased significantly from 175.7 ± 20.3 to 156.3 ± 38.1 % in the BFR group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

BFR resistance training improved vascular endothelial function and peripheral blood circulation in healthy elderly people.

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Abbreviations

BFR:

Blood flow restriction

eNOS:

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase

EPI:

Epinephrine

GH:

Growth hormone

NE:

Norepinephrine

NO:

Nitric oxide

RHI:

Reactive hyperemia index

RM:

Repetition maximum

tcPO2 :

Transcutaneous oxygen pressure

TM:

Thrombomodulin

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

vWF:

von Willebrand factor

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 26350585.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Angiology and Cardiology, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, 252-0373, Japan

    Ryosuke Shimizu, Shuhei Yamamoto, Michitaka Kato, Nobuaki Hamazaki, Daisuke Kamekawa, Ayako Akiyama, Yumi Kamada, Shinya Tanaka & Takashi Masuda

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA

    Kazuki Hotta

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, Shinsyu University Hospital, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, 390-0862, Japan

    Shuhei Yamamoto

  4. Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University Kitasato Institute Hospital, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, 108-8642, Japan

    Takuya Matsumoto

  5. Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University Hospital, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, 252-0375, Japan

    Kentaro Kamiya & Nobuaki Hamazaki

  6. Department of Shizuoka Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Tokoha University, Mizuochi, 1-30 Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, 420-0831, Japan

    Michitaka Kato

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  1. Ryosuke Shimizu
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  2. Kazuki Hotta
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  3. Shuhei Yamamoto
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  10. Yumi Kamada
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  12. Takashi Masuda
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Correspondence to Takashi Masuda.

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Communicated by Fabio Fischetti.

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Shimizu, R., Hotta, K., Yamamoto, S. et al. Low-intensity resistance training with blood flow restriction improves vascular endothelial function and peripheral blood circulation in healthy elderly people. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 749–757 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3328-8

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