Abstract:
Resistance training with blood flow restriction (BFR) exaggerates metabolic stress and increases the number of muscle fibers recruited, resulting in greater improvements in muscular strength. An alternative method for occluding blood flow is band tissue flossing (BTF), in which an elastic band is wrapped around the limb. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of BTF to BFR on muscular fatigue. METHODS: Fifteen subjects (6 females; mean ± SD: age = 23.3 ± 0.1y, BMI = 25.7 ± 0.9kg/m2, thigh circumference = 59.9 ± 1.6cm) completed 3 sessions on separate days, each under a different condition: control (CON), BFR at 50% limb occlusion pressure, and BTF. During each session, participants performed maximal effort leg extension and flexion for 3 sets of 20 repetitions using an isokinetic dynamometer. At the start of each session, baseline heart rate (HR), lactate, glucose, and blood flow were recorded. During the BFR and BTF sessions, HR and blood flow were recorded before and 1-minute after occlusion. HR, glucose, and lactate were recorded immediately post- and 1-minute post-exercise for all sessions. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to compare outcome measures between time points as well as between conditions. RESULTS: BFR and BTF both caused significant increases in HR compared to baseline (4.67 ± 2.14 BPM and 6.07 ± 2.56 BPM, both p < 0.01, respectively), with no significant differences between conditions. BTF significantly decreased arterial distance (-0.04 ± 0.04cm, p = 0.001), volume flow (-7.56 ± 6.88 cc/min, p = 0.001), and arterial area (-0.02 ± 0.01cm2, p < 0.001). Whereas BFR significantly decreased time-averaged mean velocity (-1.03 ± 1.65cm/s, p = 0.001). BTF caused a greater reduction in arterial distance compared to BFR (p = 0.006). However, no differences were observed in all dynamometry, electromyography, glucose, or lactate measures between occlusion conditions. CONCLUSION: BTF occluded more blood flow and yielded comparable changes in muscular fatigue when compared to BFR, providing an inexpensive training alternative when more sophisticated laboratory techniques are unavailable.
