Blood Flow Restricted Cycling Impairs Subsequent Jumping But Not Balance Performance Slightly More Than Non-Restricted Cycling: An Acute Randomized Controlled Cross-Over Trial

Abstract

Chronic blood flow restriction (BFR) training has been shown to improve drop jumping (DJ) and balance performance. However, the acute effects of low intensity BFR cycling on DJ and balance indices have not yet been examined. 28 healthy young adults (9 female; 21.8 ± 2.7years; 1.79 ± 0.08m; 73.9 ± 9.5kg) performed DJ and balance testing before and immediately after 20min low intensity cycling (40% of power at maximal oxygen uptake) with (BFR) and without BFR (noBFR). For DJ related parameters, no significant mode × time interactions were found (p ≥ 0.221, ηp2 ≤ 0.06). Large time effects for DJ heights and the reactive strength index were observed (p < 0.001, ηp2 ≥ 0.42). Pairwise comparison revealed notably lower values for both DJ jumping height and reactive strength index at post compared to pre (BFR: -7.4 ± 9.4%, noBFR: -4.2 ± 7.4%). No statistically significant mode × time interactions (p ≥ 0.36; ηp2 ≤ 0.01) have been observed for balance testing. Low intensity cycling with BFR results in increased (p ≤ 0.01; SMD ≥ 0.72) mean heart rate (+14 ± 8bpm), maximal heart rate (+16 ± 12 bpm), lactate (+0.7 ± 1.2 mmol/L), perceived training intensity (+2.5 ± 1.6au) and pain scores (+4.9 ± 2.2au) compared to noBFR. BFR cycling induced acutely impaired DJ performance, but balance performance was not affected, compared to noBFR cycling. Heart rate, lactate, perceived training intensity, and pain scores were increased during BFR cycling.

Acute effects of static balance exercise combined with different levels of blood flow restriction on motor performance fatigue as well as physiological and perceptual responses in young healthy males and females

“…Despite these differences in motor performance fatigue as well as the physiological and perceptual responses between the BFR conditions and SHAM as well as between the 80% AOP and 40% AOP condition, balance performance (i.e., sway distance, sway velocity) during the sets was not significantly affected. This finding is in agreement with the results of a recently published study showing that cycling at a power output corresponding to 40% of maximal oxygen uptake combined with BFR (80% AOP) for 20 min decreased drop jump performance, but not balance performance during perturbed stance (i.e., sway, maximal deviation) (Held et al 2023 ). These findings collectively indicate that balance performance was not substantially influenced by the BFR-induced performance fatigue development and the physiological changes during exercise (i.e., quadriceps muscle activity and S m O 2 ).…”

“…Therefore, the AOP in the balance exercise position might have been higher than the actually measured AOP with the participants sitting in an upright position (Hughes et al 2018 ), which might have led to smaller relative BFR pressures than the specified 80% and 40% AOP. Lastly, in the present study, balance performance was not measured before and after the exercise without an inflated cuff (Held et al 2023 ), but during the sets while wearing the inflated pneumatic cuff. Therefore, changes in balance performance might have been masked due to the cuff-induced mechanical alterations including a modification of muscle length due to the transversal pressure and the potential stabilization function for the hip joint induced by the inflated cuff.…”