Blood Flow Restriction Training: Implementation into Clinical Practice

William R Vanwye; Alyssa M Weatherholt; Alan E Mikesky

Blood Flow Restriction Training: Implementation into Clinical Practice

Int J Exerc Sci. 2017 Sep 1;10(5):649-654. eCollection 2017.

Authors

William R Vanwye¹, Alyssa M Weatherholt², Alan E Mikesky³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA.
² Department of Kinesiology and Sport, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN, USA.
³ Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

PMID: 28966705
PMCID: PMC5609669

Abstract

To improve muscular strength and hypertrophy the American College of Sports Medicine recommends moderate to high load resistance training. However, use of moderate to high loads are often not feasible in clinical populations. Therefore, the emergence of low load (LL) blood flow restriction (BFR) training as a rehabilitation tool for clinical populations is becoming popular. Although the majority of research on LL-BFR training has examined healthy populations, clinical applications are emerging. Overall, it appears BFR training is a safe and effective tool for rehabilitation. However, additional research is needed prior to widespread application.

Keywords: KAATSU; Occlusion training; rehabilitation; safety; tourniquet training.

Publication types

Editorial