Improved Strength
Hypertrophy in men and women
Positive impacts on bone health
Non-exercised limbs have shown gains in strength without exercise
Controversial but promising reports on aerobic capacity
Safe: Investigations after BFR have shown no evidence for increased risk of thrombosis.

Less Muscle Damage Compared to Heavy Lifting

Peer Review: Does BFR lead to or even increase the incidence of muscle damage

Reference: Does blood flow restriction result in skeletal muscle damage? A critical review of available evidence

CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence does not support the hypothesis that BFR in combination with low‐intensity exercise increases the incidence of muscle damage. Instead, the available literature suggests that minimal to no muscle damage is occurring with this type of exercise

Increased Strength & Muscle Development

Peer Review on 4 Studies by Duquesne University : Peer Review

Study : 32 Collegiate Football Players

Reference: J Strength Cond Res 26(9): 2523–2529, 2012, Yamanaka, T, Farley, RS, and Caputo, JL. Occlusion training increases muscular strength in division IA football players.

CONCLUSIONS: Strength changes can be achieved with training using less weight and BFR bands. With the additional benefit of reduced loads and recovery time, this is a very promising approach to training elite level athletes and military personnel.

Study: 20 Rugby Players

Reference: The Effect of Speed, Power and Strength Training, and a Group Motivational Presentation on Physiological Markers of Athlete Readiness: A Case Study in Professional Rugby. Cook et al (2014)

CONCLUSIONS: Occlusion training can potentially improve the rate of strength training gains and fatigue resistance in trained athletes, possibly allowing greater gains from lower loading which could be of benefit during high training loads, in competitive seasons, or in a rehabilitative setting. The clear improvement in bench press strength resulting from lower-body occlusion suggests a systemic effect of blood flow restricted training.

Study: 17 Rugby Players

Reference: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Feb;86(4):308-14. Effects of resistance exercise combined with vascular occlusion on muscle function in athletes. Takarada, Sato, Ishii

CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that low-intensity resistance exercise causes, in almost fully trained athletes, increases in muscle size, strength and endurance, when combined with vascular occlusion.

Study: 62 Football Players

Reference: THE EFFECTS OF A 7-WEEK PRACTICAL BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION PROGRAM ON WELL-TRAINED COLLEGIATE ATHLETES

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a practical BFR program used in addition to a traditional strength training program can be effective at increasing 1RM squat performance

Growth Hormone Release

Study : 11 Males - Large Increase in HGH

Reference: Hemodynamic and hormonal responses to a short-term low-intensity resistance exercise with the reduction of muscle blood flow.

CONCLUSIONS: Growth Hormone Increased increased GH (0.11+/-0.03 to 8.6+/-1.1 ng/ml). These results suggest that short term low intensity resistance exercise with BFR significantly stimulates the exercise-induced GH.

Study : Middle Aged Women

Reference: Effect of a low-intensity resistance exercise program with blood flow restriction on growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in middle-aged women

CONCLUSIONS: A significant elevated GH level was observed in the BFR groups when compared with the control group.

Study : 13 Health College Aged Females

Reference: Hormone Responses to an Acute Bout of Low Intensity Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Exercise in College-Aged Females

CONCLUSIONS: GH increased immediately post exercise for both protocols (High Intensity and BFR) as compared to baseline. In conclusion, acute BFR restricted resistance exercise stimulated similar increases in Anabolic hormone responses in young women as High Intensity Exercise

Study : 7 Healthy Older Men (70 yo)

Reference: Circulating hormone and cytokine response to low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction in older men.

CONCLUSIONS: GH increased from rest to 30-min post-exercise and was greater during BFR than without. In conclusion, a single bout of BFR increases the circulating concentrations of GH in older men and may explain the skeletal muscle and peripheral vascular adaptations observed following training with BFR.

Study : 10 Young and 10 Older men

Reference: Growth hormone responses to acute resistance exercise with vascular restriction in young and old men

CONCLUSIONS: Both age groups responded similarly to each exercise condition with increased GH in response to BFR. However, young men had a greater maximal GH response.

Nitric Oxide Release

Study : 6 Males Leg Extension Training

Reference: Blood Flow Restriction Enhances Post–Resistance Exercise Angiogenic Gene Expression

CONCLUSIONS: Chronic training actually reduces NOS because excessive levels are associated with chronic inflammatory processes. Meanwhile, low skeletal muscle content of NOS are associated with metabolic and vascular dysfunction. This study indicates that the addition of BFR to acute low-intensity exercise increases post exercise muscle expression of NOS,