Impact of low‐load resistance exercise with and without blood flow restriction on muscle strength, endurance, and oxidative capacity: A pilot study

Abstract

Low‐load resistance exercise (LLRE) to failure can increase muscle mass, strength, endurance, and mitochondrial oxidative capacity (OXPHOS). However, the impact of adding blood flow restriction to low‐load resistance exercise (LLBFR) when matched for volume on these outcomes is incompletely understood. This pilot study examined the impact of 6 weeks of single‐legged LLBFR and volume‐matched LLRE on thigh bone‐free lean mass, strength, endurance, and mitochondrial OXPHOS. Twenty (12 males and 8 females) untrained young adults (mean ± SD; 21 ± 2 years, 168 ± 11 cm, 68 ± 12 kg) completed 6 weeks of either single‐legged LLBFR or volume‐matched LLRE. Participants performed four sets of 30, 15, 15, and 15 repetitions at 25% 1‐RM of leg press and knee extension with or without BFR three times per week. LLBFR increased knee extension 1‐RM, knee extension endurance, and thigh bone‐free lean mass relative to control (all p < 0.05). LLRE increased leg press and knee extension 1‐RM relative to control (p = 0.012 and p = 0.054, respectively). LLRE also increased mitochondrial OXPHOS (p = 0.047 (nonparametric)). Our study showed that LLBFR increased muscle strength, muscle endurance, and thigh bone‐free lean mass in the absence of improvements in mitochondrial OXPHOS. LLRE improved muscle strength and mitochondrial OXPHOS in the absence of improvements in thigh bone‐free lean mass or muscle endurance.