The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the acute effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) at 70% of full arterial occlusion pressure on strength-endurance performance during the bench press exercise. The study included 14 strength-trained male subjects (age = 25.6 ± 4.1 years; body mass = 81.7 ± 10.8 kg; bench press 1 repetition maximum (1RM) = 130.0 ± 22.1 kg), experienced in resistance training (3.9 ± 2.4 years). During the experimental sessions in a randomized crossover design, the subjects performed three sets of the bench press at 80% 1RM performed to failure with two different conditions: without BFR (CON); and with BFR (BFR). Friedman's test showed significant differences between BFR and CON conditions for the number of repetitions performed (p < 0.001); for peak bar velocity (p < 0.001) and for mean bar velocity (p < 0.001). The pairwise comparisons showed a significant decrease for peak bar velocity and mean bar velocity in individual Set 1 for BFR when compared to CON conditions (p = 0.01 for both). The two-way repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant main effect for the time under tension (p = 0.02). A post-hoc comparisons for the main effect showed a significant increase in time under tension for BFR when compared to CON (p = 0.02). The results of the presented study indicate that BFR used during strength-endurance exercise generally does not decrease the level of endurance performance, while it causes a drop in bar velocity.

Department of Physical Pharmacy Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec Medical University of Silesia in Katowice Poland

Department of Sport Games Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Charles University Prague Czech

Faculty of Physical Education Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport Gdansk Poland

Institute of Sport Sciences Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice Poland

Postgraduate Program in Physical Education University of Juiz de Fora Juiz de Fora Brazil

Study Group and Research in Neuromuscular Responses Federal University of Lavras Lavras Brazil

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Gepfert M, Poprzecki S, Gołaś A, Maszczyk A. Technical and Training Related Aspects of Resistance Training Using Blood Flow Restriction in Competitive Sport – A Review. J Hum Kinet. 2018;65(1):249–60. PubMed PMC

Oliveira J, Campos Y, Leitão L, Arriel R, Novaes J, Vianna J. Does Acute Blood Flow Restriction with Pneumatic and Non-Pneumatic Non-Elastic Cuffs Promote Similar Responses in Blood Lactate, Growth Hormone, and Peptide Hormone? J Hum Kinet. 2020;74:85–97. PubMed PMC

Patterson SD, Hughes L, Warmington S, Burr J, Scott BR, Owens J, Abe T, Nielsen JL, Libardi CA, Laurentino G, Neto GR, Brandner C, Martin-Hernandez J, Loenneke J. Blood Flow Restriction Exercise: Considerations of Methodology, Application, and Safety. Front Physiol. 2019;10:533. PubMed PMC

Takano H, Morita T, Iida H, Asada K, Kato M, Uno K, Hirose K, Matsumoto A, Takenaka K, Hirata Y, Eto F, Nagai R, Sato Y, Nakajima T. Hemodynamic and hormonal responses to a short-term low-intensity resistance exercise with the reduction of muscle blood flow. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005;95(1):65–73. PubMed

Loenneke JP, Pujol TJ. The Use of Occlusion Training to Produce Muscle Hypertrophy. Strength Cond J. 2009;31(3):77–84.

Scott BR, Loenneke JP, Slattery KM, Dascombe BJ. Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction: An Updated Evidence-Based Approach for Enhanced Muscular Development. Sports Med. 2015;45(3):313–25. PubMed

Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Filip A, Zajac A, Bogdanis GC, Lockie RG. Short-term blood flow restriction increases power output and bar velocity during the bench press. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 [ Publish Ahead of Print ] PubMed

Incognito AV, Burr JF, Millar PJ. The Effects of Ischemic Preconditioning on Human Exercise Performance. Sports Med. 2016;46(4):531–44. PubMed

Marocolo M, Willardson JM, Marocolo IC, da Mota GR, Simão R, Maior AS. Ischemic Preconditioning and Placebo Intervention Improves Resistance Exercise Performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(5):1462–9. PubMed

Marocolo IC, da Mota GR, Londe AM, Patterson SD, Barbosa Neto O, Marocolo M. Acute ischemic preconditioning does not influence high-intensity intermittent exercise performance. PeerJ. 2017;5:e4118. PubMed PMC

Marocolo M, Billaut F, da Mota GR. Ischemic Preconditioning and Exercise Performance: An Ergogenic Aid for Whom? Front Physiol. 2018;9:1874. PubMed PMC

Marocolo M, Simim MAM, Bernardino A, Monteiro IR, Patterson SD, da Mota GR. Ischemic preconditioning and exercise performance: shedding light through smallest worthwhile change. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019;119(10):2123–49. PubMed

Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Filip A, Lockie RG, Zajac A. The acute effects of external compression with blood flow restriction on maximal strength and strengthendurance performance of the upper limbs. Front Physiol. 2020;11:567. PubMed PMC

Wernbom M, Järrebring R, Andreasson MA, Augustsson J. Acute Effects of Blood Flow Restriction on Muscle Activity and Endurance During Fatiguing Dynamic Knee Extensions at Low Load. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(8):2389–95. PubMed

Wernbom M, Augustsson J, Thomeé R. Effects of Vascular Occlusion on Muscular Endurance in Dynamic Knee Extension Exercise at Different Submaximal Loads. J Strength Cond Res. 2006;20(2):372. PubMed

Loenneke JP, Balapur A, Thrower AD, Barnes J, Pujol TJ. Blood flow restriction reduces time to muscular failure. Eur J Sport Sci. 2012;12(3):238–43.

Rawska M, Gepfert M, Mostowik A, Krzysztofik M, Wojdala G, Lulinska A, Wilk M. Does blood flow restriction influence the maximal number of repetitions performed during the bench press? A pilot study. Balt J Health Phys Act. 2019;31:9–17.

McEwen JA, Owens JG, Jeyasurya J. Why is it Crucial to Use Personalized Occlusion Pressures in Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Rehabilitation? J Med Biol Eng. 2019;39(2):173–7.

Crenshaw AG, Hargens AR, Gershuni DH, Rydevik B. Wide tourniquet cuffs more effective at lower inflation pressures. Acta Orthop Scand. 1988;59(4):447–51. PubMed

Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Rossow LM, Sherk VD, Thiebaud RS, Abe T, Bemben DA, Bemben MG. Effects of cuff width on arterial occlusion: implications for blood flow restricted exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2012;112(8):2903–12. PubMed PMC

Gepfert M, Krzysztofik M, Kostrzewa M, Jarosz J, Trybulski R, Zajac A, Wilk M. The Acute Impact of External Compression on Back Squat Performance in Competitive Athletes. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(13):4674. PubMed PMC

Dunnick DD, Brown LE, Coburn JW, Lynn SK, Barillas SR. Bench Press Upper-Body Muscle Activation Between Stable and Unstable Loads. J Strength Cond Res. 2015;29(12):3279–83. PubMed

Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Drozd M, Zajac A. Changes of Power Output and Velocity During Successive Sets of the Bench Press With Different Duration of Eccentric Movement. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2020;15(2):162–7. PubMed

Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Bialas M. The influence of compressive gear on maximal load lifted in competitive powerlifting. Biol Sport. 2020;37(4):437–41. PubMed PMC

Maszczyk A, Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Gepfert M, Zając A, Petr M, Stastny P. The effects of resistance training experience on movement characteristics in the bench press exercise. Biol Sport. 2020;37(1):79–83. PubMed PMC

Wilk M, Golas A, Zmijewski P, Krzysztofik M, Filip A, Coso JD, Tufano JJ. The Effects of the Movement Tempo on the One-Repetition Maximum Bench Press Results. J Hum Kinet. 2020;72(1):151–9. PubMed PMC

Wilk M, Gepfert M, Krzysztofik M, Mostowik A, Filip A, Hajduk G, Zajac A. Impact of Duration of Eccentric Movement in the One-Repetition Maximum Test Result in the Bench Press among Women. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(2):317–22. PubMed PMC

Wilk M, Gepfert M, Krzysztofik M, Golas A, Mostowik A, Maszczyk A, Zajac A. The Influence of Grip Width on Training Volume During the Bench Press with Different Movement Tempos. J Hum Kinet. 2019;68(1):49–57. PubMed PMC

Garnacho-Castaño MV, López-Lastra S, Maté-Muñoz JL. Reliability and validity assessment of a linear position transducer. J Sports Sci Med. 2015;14(1):128–36. PubMed PMC

Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Filip A, Lockie RG, Zajac A. The Acute Effects of External Compression With Blood Flow Restriction on Maximal Strength and Strength-Endurance Performance of the Upper Limbs. Front Physiol. 2020;11:567. PubMed PMC

Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. 2nd ed. Routledge; 1988.

Dankel SJ, Buckner SL, Jessee MB, Mattocks KT, Mouser JG, Counts BR, Laurentino GC, Loenneke JP. Can blood flow restriction augment muscle activation during high-load training? Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2018;38(2):291–5. PubMed

Golas A, Maszczyk A, Stastny P, Wilk M, Ficek K, Lockie R, Zajac A. A New Approach to EMG Analysis of Closed-Circuit Movements Such as the Flat Bench Press. Sports. 2018;6(2):27. PubMed PMC

Krzysztofik M, Golas A, Wilk M, Stastny P, Lockie RG, Zajac A. A Comparison of Muscle Activity Between the Cambered and Standard Bar During the Bench Press Exercise. Front Physiol. 2020;11:875. PubMed PMC

Wilk M, Krzysztofik M, Filip A, Szkudlarek A, Lockie RG, Zajac A. Does Post-Activation Performance Enhancement Occur during the Bench Press Exercise under Blood Flow Restriction? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(11):3752. PubMed PMC

Wilk M, Golas A, Stastny P, Nawrocka M, Krzysztofik M, Zajac A. Does Tempo of Resistance Exercise Impact Training Volume? J Hum Kinet. 2018;62(1):241–50. PubMed PMC

McBride JM, McCaulley GO, Cormie P, Nuzzo JL, Cavill MJ, Triplett NT. Comparison of Methods to Quantify Volume During Resistance Exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(1):106–10. PubMed

Wilk M, Tufano JJ, Zajac A. The Influence of Movement Tempo on Acute Neuromuscular, Hormonal, and Mechanical Responses to Resistance Exercise—A Mini Review. J Strength Cond Res. 2020;34(8):2369–83. PubMed

Wilk M, Gepfert M, Krzysztofik M, Stastny P, Zajac A, Bogdanis GC. Acute Effects of Continuous and Intermittent Blood Flow Restriction on Movement Velocity During Bench Press Exercise Against Different Loads. Front Physiol. 2020;11:569915. PubMed PMC

Neto GR, Novaes JS, Salerno VP, Gonçalves MM, Batista GR, Cirilo-Sousa MS. Does a resistance exercise session with continuous or intermittent blood flow restriction promote muscle damage and increase oxidative stress? J Sports Sci. 2018;36(1):104–10. PubMed

Okita K, Takada S, Morita N, Takahashi M, Hirabayashi K, Yokota T, Kinugawa S. Resistance training with interval blood flow restriction effectively enhances intramuscular metabolic stress with less ischemic duration and discomfort. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2019;44(7):759–64. PubMed

Wernbom M, Paulsen G, Bjørnsen T, Cumming K, Raastad T. Risk of Muscle Damage With Blood Flow–Restricted Exercise Should Not Be Overlooked. Clin J Sport Med. 2019 [Publish Ahead of Print] PubMed

Wernbom M, Schoenfeld BJ, Paulsen G, Bjørnsen T, Cumming KT, Aagaard P, Clark BC, Raastad T. Commentary: Can Blood Flow Restricted Exercise Cause Muscle Damage? Commentary on Blood Flow Restriction Exercise: Considerations of Methodology, Application, and Safety. Front Physiol. 2020;11:243. PubMed PMC

Sieljacks P, Matzon A, Wernbom M, Ringgaard S, Vissing K, Overgaard K. Muscle damage and repeated bout effect following blood flow restricted exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016;116(3):513–25. PubMed

Yasuda T, Fujita S, Ogasawara R, Sato Y, Abe T. Effects of low-intensity bench press training with restricted arm muscle blood flow on chest muscle hypertrophy: a pilot study: Bench press training with blood flow restriction. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2010;30:338–43. PubMed

Acute Effects of Ischemic Intra-Conditioning on 30 m Sprint Performance