title: Effects of Low-Intensity Cycle Training with Restricted Leg Blood Flow on Thigh Muscle Volume and VO2MAX in Young Men.
abstract: Concurrent improvements in aerobic capacity and muscle hypertrophy in response to a single mode of training have not been reported. We examined the effects of low-intensity cycle exercise training with and without blood flow restriction (BFR) on muscle size and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). A group of 19 young men (mean age ± SD: 23.0 ± 1.7 years) were allocated randomly into either a BFR-training group (n=9, BFR-training) or a non-BFR control training group (n=10, CON-training), both of which trained 3 days/wk for 8 wk. Training intensity and duration were 40% of VO2max and 15 min for the BFR-training group and 40% of VO2max and 45 min for the CON-training group. MRI-measured thigh and quadriceps muscle cross-sectional area and muscle volume increased by 3.4-5.1% (P < 0.01) and isometric knee extension strength tended to increase by 7.7% (p < 0.10) in the BFR-training group. There was no change in muscle size (~0.6%) and strength (~1.4%) in the CON-training group. Significant improvements in VO2max (6.4%) and exercise time until exhaustion (15.4%) were observed in the BFR-training group (p < 0.05) but not in the CON-training group (-0.1 and 3. 9%, respectively). The results suggest that low-intensity, short-duration cycling exercise combined with BFR improves both muscle hypertrophy and aerobic capacity concurrently in young men. Key pointsConcurrent improvements in aerobic capacity and muscle hypertrophy in response to a single mode of training have not been reported.In the present study, low-intensity (40% of VO2max) cycle training with BFR can elicit concurrent improvement in muscle hypertrophy and aerobic capacity.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo , Kashiwa, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Mikako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamaki
authors.forename: Hayao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Riki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugaya
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurano
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: Naokata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishii
keywords: Aerobic exercise; Muscle hypertrophy; Muscle strength; Occlusion