Research in Sport Education and Sciences (Dec 2024)
The Effect of Combined Blood Flow Restriction TheraBand Training on Functional Capacity and Quality of Life
Abstract
This study aims to examine the effects of 4-week combined blood flow restriction - TheraBand training on functional capacity and quality of life in healthy individuals aged 55-65 years. A total of 24 women aged 55-65 participated in the study voluntarily. Participants were divided into three groups consisting of 8 people: TheraBand group (TG), blood flow restriction+TheraBand group (BFR+TG), and control group (CG). Participants were administered a 30-second sit-to-stand chair test, a 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and Modified Borg Scale (MBS) for quality of life. In intra-group comparisons, both the Borg scale and 6MWT showed statistically significant improvements favouring the final test in TG and BFR+TG groups (p= 0.05). Inter-group comparisons revealed that the BFR+TG group exhibited higher improvement compared to the other groups. Significant differences favouring the final test were also observed in the intra-group comparison of the 30-second sit-to-stand test in TG and BFR+TG groups (p= 0.05), with the BFR+TG group showing higher improvement compared to the CG in inter-group comparisons. Moreover, no statistically significant differences were found in intra-group and inter-group comparisons of quality of life (p= 0.05). In conclusion, it can be recommended that lower-intensity strength training with TheraBands, combined with BFR where possible, be applied to elderly individuals instead of high-intensity strength training and, if possible, use the BFR method in these training.
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