The Impact of Exercise With Blood Flow Restriction: Sex and Age Differences

Physical Activity Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Impact of Exercise With Blood Flow Restriction: Sex and Age Differences on Physical Performance, Muscle Hypertrophy, and Blood Biomarkers

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05615831
• Other study ID #: 2021-124
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 1, 2022
• Est. completion date: November 22, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: December 2023
• Source: University of New Brunswick
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The primary objective is to investigate whether six weeks of resistance training, in combination with blood flow restriction, produces a different adaptation in fat-free mass between males and females that are not physically active. The secondary objective is to compare changes in physical function, physical performance, and blood biomarkers between males and females following resistance training and blood flow restriction.

Description:

Previous studies indicated a reduced workload (i.e., lifting lighter weight) combined with blood flow restriction leads to increased fat-free mass and muscle strength. However, females have been underrepresented in the blood flow restriction literature. Therefore, no study has investigated whether males and females of different age groups have different adaptations in fat-free mass, muscle strength, and performance outcomes following resistance training using blood flow restriction.

The primary objective will be to investigate sex differences in fat-free mass following six weeks of resistance training combined with blood flow restriction in young and older adults.

The secondary objective is to investigate sex differences in muscle strength, physical performance, and blood biomarkers between males and females following resistance training and blood flow restriction.

Briefly, participants between 19-30 years and 65 years and older will be recruited to participate in this study. Participants will present to the laboratory for two baseline testing visits interspersed with a minimum of four days. The first testing visit will include a variety of questionnaires, a blood draw, lipid and glucose, a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan, anthropometrics, and a submaximal VO2. The second visit will include several physical function tests, such as the short physical performance battery and the Y-balance test, as well as a high-intensity isokinetic fatigue test using isokinetic dynamometry and 1-repetition maximum testing.

Upon completion of baseline testing, participants are enrolled in the exercise program. The first exercise session includes a blood draw before and immediately after the training session. This procedure will be duplicated at the final exercise session at the end of the six weeks.

Participants' full occlusion will be estimated using the formula developed by Loenneke et al. (2015). Then each participant's occlusion will be set at 60% of each individual's total limb occlusion. This will be used in combination with the following exercises incline chest press, seated row, leg press, knee extension, and knee flexion performed at 30% of 1RM. The protocol is as follows: 30 repetitions followed by three sets of 15 repetitions for a total of four sets and 75 repetitions per exercise. There will be a one-minute recovery between sets where the cuffs remain inflated and a four-minute recovery between exercises where the cuffs will be deflated.

Following the completion of the six weeks of exercise, participants will again present to the laboratory for two follow-up visits similar to the first two baseline visits.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 72
• Est. completion date: November 22, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: November 22, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 19 Years to 100 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between the ages of 19 and 100 years

• Sedentary (not meeting physical activity guidelines), but otherwise healthy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Aged outside the threshold

• Uncontrolled hypertension

• Presence of cardiovascular disease

• Either surgery, bone fracture, or skin graft within the previous three months

• Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus

• Pregnancy

• Individuals taking medications known to increase risk of blood clotting

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Physical Activity

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Resistance Training with Blood flow restriction
Participants will perform six weeks of blood flow restriction (60% occlusion) combined with resistance training at 30% of 1RM. The intervention comprises five exercises: incline chest press, seated row, leg press, knee extension, and knee flexion. The protocol is as follows: 30 repetitions followed by three sets of 15 repetitions for a total of four sets and 75 repetitions per exercise. There will be a one-minute recovery between sets where the cuffs remain inflated and a four-minute recovery between exercises where the cuffs will be deflated.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	University of New Brunswick - Kinesiology	Fredericton	New Brunswick

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of New Brunswick	Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Muscle hypertrophy	Change in fat-free mass	Baseline and 6 weeks
Secondary	Strength	Change in 1-repetition maximum	Baseline and 6 weeks
Secondary	Muscle Power	Change in vertical jump score	Baseline and 6 weeks
Secondary	Muscle Endurance	Change in knee extension and flexion	Baseline and 6 weeks
Secondary	Changes in physical function	Changes in short physical performance battery, senior fitness test, and Y-balance test	Baseline and 6 weeks
Secondary	Changes in blood biomarkers	Changes in circulating blood biomarkers	Baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention and pre and post an acute bout of resistance training at baseline and and after 6 weeks