陆军军医大学学报 (Nov 2023)
Immediate efficacy of 2 types of blood flow restriction training on upper limb muscles in military cadets
Abstract
Objective To compare and analyze the influence of traditional blood flow restriction (tBFR) and practical blood flow restriction (pBFR) on the immediate efficacy of upper limb muscles in military cadets, and explore the application effect of pBFR. Methods Ten well-trained healthy military cadets from Army Medical University were enrolled in this study. After the baseline measurement was completed, all of them were asked to do alternating dumbbell curl with dominant arm. Low-intensity (LI), low-intensity combined tBFR (LI-tBFR), high-intensity combined tBFR (HI-tBFR), low-intensity combined pBFR (LI-pBFR), and high-intensity combined pBFR (HI-pBFR) training were completed within 5 weeks. Each training mode of each subject was randomly generated until all 5 different training modes were completed, and the interval between 2 adjacent training sessions was 1 week. Surface electromyography (EMG) was conducted during the whole process of each training, and the muscle thickness and upper arm circumference were measured before and after each training. Subjective fatigue was evaluated by the participants after each training, and the results were recorded and analyzed statistically. Results Whether it is tBFR or pBFR, the root mean square (RMS) value of LI-BFR was significantly higher than that of LI, and that of HI-BFR was significantly higher than that of LI-BFR (P 0.05). In terms of muscle thickness (0.2~0.3 mm) and upper limb arm circumference (0.3~0.4 cm), certain increments were observed before and after combined BFR (P 0.05). The results of subjective fatigue evaluation indicated that the fatigue level was gradually elevated with load increasing, and there was no statistical difference in the level between tBFR and pBFR under the same load of training (P>0.05). Conclusion In immediate efficacy, pBFR has a similar effect as tBFR, and both of them can effectively promote the immediate activation effect of upper limb muscles and increase muscle hypertrophy in military cadets. For military cadets and even the general public, conducting pBFR training on their own without professional training venues and equipment is also a good choice. However, further verification is still needed for long-term effects.
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