Increases in thigh muscle volume and strength by walk training with leg blood flow reduction in older participants.
We examined the effects of walk training combined with leg blood flow reduction (BFR) on muscle hypertrophy as well as on peak oxygen uptake (VO₂ peak) in older individuals. Both the BFR walk training (BFR-Walk, n = 10, age; 64 ± 1 years, body mass index [BMI]; 22.5 ± 0.9 kg/m²) and control walk training (CON-Walk, n = 8, age; 68 ± 1 years, BMI; 23.2 ± 1.0 kg/m²) groups performed 20 minutes of treadmill walking at an exercise intensity of 45% of heart rate reserve, 4 days per week, for 10 weeks. The BFR-Walk group wore pressure belts (160-200 mm Hg) on both legs during training. After the training, magnetic resonance imaging-measured thigh muscle cross-sectional area (3.1%, p < .01) and muscle volume (3.7%, p < .01) as well as maximal isometric (5.9%, p < .05) and isokinetic (up to 22%, p < .01) strength increased in the BFR-Walk group, but not in the CON-Walk group. Estimated VO₂ peak during a bicycle graded exercise test increased (p < .05) and correlated with oxygen pulse in both groups. In conclusion, BFR walk training improves both muscle volume and strength in older women.
Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. ozaki.hayao@gmail.com
Hayao
H
Ozaki
Mikako
M
Sakamaki
Tomohiro
T
Yasuda
Satoshi
S
Fujita
Riki
R
Ogasawara
Masato
M
Sugaya
Toshiaki
T
Nakajima
Takashi
T
Abe
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D016138:Walking