BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION (BFR)
LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES
WHAT IS BFR TRAINING?
BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION (BFR) TRAINING IS A CUTTING-EDGE METHOD USED TO ENHANCE MUSCLE STRENGTH, SIZE, AND RECOVERY WITHOUT THE NEED FOR HEAVY WEIGHTS. USING SPECIALIZED CUFFS OR BANDS APPLIED TO THE LIMBS, BFR TEMPORARILY REDUCES BLOOD FLOW TO THE WORKING MUSCLES. THIS RESTRICTION CREATES A METABOLIC ENVIRONMENT THAT MIMICS HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING EVEN WHEN USING VERY LIGHT LOADS.
WHO CAN BENEFIT?
✔ ATHLETES (PROFESSIONAL OR AMATEUR)
✔ INDIVIDUALS WITH JOINT PAIN OR MOBILITY LIMITATIONS
✔ RUNNERS OR ATHLETES IN RECOVERY PERIODS
✔ BUSY PROFESSIONALS WHO WANT AN EFFICIENT WORKOUT
✔ OLDER ADULTS LOOKING TO MAINTAIN MUSCLE
✔ POST-OP PATIENTS (ACL, MENISCUS, LABRUM, TENDON INJURIES)
HOW IT WORKS
STEP 1 - CUFFS OR BANDS ARE APPLIED TO THE UPPER ARMS OR THIGHS.
STEP 2 - BLOOD FLOW INTO THE LIMB IS PARTIALLY REDUCED, AND OUTFLOW IS RESTRICTED.
STEP 3 - LIGHT RESISTANCE OR AEROBIC EXERCISE IS PERFORMED.
STEP 4 - THIS CREATES A HYPOXIC ENVIRONMENT, CAUSING MUSCLE FATIGUE AND CELLULAR SWELLING.
STEP 5 - THE BODY ADAPTS BY INCREASING MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS, GROWTH FACTORS, AND RECRUITMENT OF HIGH-THRESHOLD MOTOR UNITS.
BACKED BY SCIENCE
20–30% LOAD BFR = EQUIVALENT HYPERTROPHY GAINS TO 70–80% LOAD
2–3 WEEKS OF BFR SHOWS MEASURABLE INCREASES IN MUSCLE MASS
IMPROVES CAPILLARY DENSITY, MITOCHONDRIAL EFFICIENCY, AND MUSCLE ENDURANCE
PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES
“BFR TRAINING PRESERVES MUSCLE MASS AND STRENGTH DURING PERIODS OF DISUSE OR IMMOBILIZATION, SUCH AS POST-ACL SURGERY.”
– HUGHES ET AL., FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, 2017
“BFR IS A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR REHABILITATION AFTER MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURY, ALLOWING STRENGTH GAINS WITHOUT OVERLOADING HEALING TISSUES.”
– SCOTT ET AL., JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC & SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY, 2015
“POSTOPERATIVE BFR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED MUSCLE ATROPHY AND ENHANCED STRENGTH RECOVERY IN PATIENTS AFTER KNEE SURGERY.”
– CENTNER ET AL., CLINICAL REHABILITATION, 2019
“LOW-INTENSITY AEROBIC BFR TRAINING IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS, MUSCLE OXIDATIVE CAPACITY, AND VO2 MAX.”
– ABE ET AL., JOURNAL OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING RESEARCH, 2010
“BFR WALKING (5–6 TIMES PER WEEK AT 45% HRMAX) IMPROVED AEROBIC CAPACITY AND LEG STRENGTH IN OLDER ADULTS AFTER JUST 3 WEEKS”
– OZAKI ET AL., CLINICAL PHYSIOLOGY AND FUNCTIONAL IMAGING, 2011
“LOW-LOAD BFR TRAINING (20–30% 1RM) HAS BEEN SHOWN TO ELICIT SIMILAR INCREASES IN MUSCLE SIZE AND STRENGTH AS TRADITIONAL HIGH-LOAD RESISTANCE TRAINING (70–85% 1RM)”
– JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY, 2010
"BFR COMBINED WITH LOW-LOAD RESISTANCE TRAINING RESULTS IN SIGNIFICANT HYPERTROPHIC AND STRENGTH GAINS IN BOTH ATHLETIC AND CLINICAL POPULATIONS."
– LOENNEKE ET AL., SPORTS MEDICINE, 2012
“IN JUST 2–3 WEEKS, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN MUSCLE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AND STRENGTH CAN BE OBSERVED USING BFR.”
– TAKARADA ET AL., EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY, 2000