Training & movement
B · Reasonable confidenceLight training with blood flow restriction in rehabilitation
Subject: Blood flow restriction training in clinical musculoskeletal rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
What this means
Light strength training with blood flow restriction gave a moderate strength gain (effect size 0.523). Heavy strength training gave more strength gain (effect size 0.674 in favour of heavy loads).
Luke Hughes, Bruce Paton, Ben Rosenblatt, Conor Gissane, Stephen David Patterson · 2017 · British Journal of Sports Medicine
What does this rating mean?
A solid systematic review with caveats, or consistent indications with a limited scope.
Findings
Low-load blood flow restriction training produced significantly greater strength gains than conventional low-load training in clinical musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Heavy-load training still produced greater strength gains than BFR, so BFR is best positioned as a bridge modality when heavy loading is contraindicated — for example early post-surgical rehabilitation or painful joints — rather than as a replacement for heavy training.
Who this applies to
Patients after ACL surgery, with knee osteoarthritis or a rare muscle inflammation, and older adults at risk of muscle loss.
Size of the research
Twenty studies: 13 in older adults, 3 after ACL surgery, 3 in knee osteoarthritis and 1 in a muscle disease.
What to keep in mind
The number of participants is not reported in the abstract and most studies involved older adults. The authors call for an individual approach to limit risks for patients.
Practical conclusion for REZA
Valuable for clients recovering from injury or surgery: low-load blood-flow-restriction training produces greater strength gains than light training without it — a good bridge until heavy training is possible again.
View method and source
Methodology
Meta-analysis
Population
20 studies in the systematic review, 13 in the meta-analysis; clinical musculoskeletal rehabilitation populations, mean age 58 ± 14 y
Intervention
Low-load blood flow restriction (LL-BFR) training vs. conventional low-load (LL) training, and vs. heavy-load resistance training
Outcome measures
Muscle strength, muscle hypertrophy, physical function, pain and tolerability in musculoskeletal rehabilitation
Limitations
Only 13 studies in the meta-analysis with modest sample sizes; methodological quality was low-to-moderate; heterogeneous BFR protocols prevent a clear dose recommendation; published 2017 so newer trials are not included.
Original source
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-097071 · PMID: 28259850
View on PubMed →This information is general education about scientific research. It is not personal medical advice and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a doctor or other healthcare professional. If you have symptoms, a medical condition or take medication, consult your GP or treating professional before changing your training or nutrition.