The Application of Blood Flow Restriction to Strength and Conditioning for Sports Performance

Performing exercise with compression of the limb vasculature was founded in Japan during the 1990s as kaatsu training, meaning ‘added pressure.’ The adaptations that underpin these various applications of blood flow restriction (BFR) arise from significant alteration to local tissue physiology during BFR. The application of BFR has evolved rapidly over the past decade. Research shows that the most significant aspect of BFR application that relates to both the effectiveness and safety of the BFR stimulus is the pressure applied and type of cuff used. The nature of BFR exercise has elicited several concerns over the safety of this modality, which have been explored within research. Safety concerns include possible effects on the cardiovascular system and muscle damage. The most documented aspect of BFR exercise is the effect on muscular adaptations to training. It is well understood that muscle hypertrophy and strength adaptations to BFR training are significantly greater than those achieved with exercise at an equivalent intensity without BFR.