A1 Journal article (refereed)
Effects of low load exercise with and without blood-flow restriction on microvascular oxygenation, muscle excitability and perceived pain (2023)

Kolind, M. I., Gam, S., Phillip, J. G., Pareja-Blanco, F., Olsen, H. B., Gao, Y., Søgaard, K., & Nielsen, J. L. (2023). Effects of low load exercise with and without blood-flow restriction on microvascular oxygenation, muscle excitability and perceived pain. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(4), 542-551. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2039781

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Kolind, Mikkel I.; Gam, Søren; Phillip, Jeppe G.; Pareja-Blanco, Fernando; Olsen, Henrik B.; Gao, Ying; Søgaard, Karen; Nielsen, Jakob L.

Journal or series: European Journal of Sport Science

ISSN: 1746-1391

eISSN: 1536-7290

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 06/02/2022

Volume: 23

Issue number: 4

Pages range: 542-551

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2039781

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/83910

Abstract

This paper aimed to examine the acute effect of low-load (LL) exercise with blood-flow restriction (LL-BFR) on microvascular oxygenation and muscle excitability of the vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles during a single bout of unilateral knee extension exercise performed to task failure. Seventeen healthy recreationally resistance-trained males were enrolled in a within-group randomized cross-over study design. Participants performed one set of unilateral knee extensions at 20% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) to task failure, using a LL-BFR or LL free-flow (LL-FF) protocol in a randomized order on separate days. Changes in oxygenation and muscle excitability in VL and VM were assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and surface electromyography (sEMG), respectively. Pain measures were collected using the visual analog scale (VAS) before and following set completion. Within- and between- protocol comparisons were performed at multiple time points of set completion for each muscle. During LL-BFR, participants performed 43% fewer repetitions and reported feeling more pain compared to LL-FF (p<0.05). Normalized to time to task failure, LL-BFR and LL-FF generally demonstrated similar progression in microvascular oxygenation and muscle excitability during exercise to task failure. The present results demonstrate that LL-BFR accelerates time to task failure, compared with LL-FF, resulting in a lower dose of mechanical work to elicit similar levels of oxygenation, blood-pooling, and muscle excitability. LL-BFR may be preferable to LL-FF in clinical settings where high workloads are contraindicated, although increased pain experienced during BFR may limit its application.

Keywords: strength training; hypoxia; training response; muscles

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1