Blood flow restriction training: what it is and how to train

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The origins of this practice can be traced back to 1966, when, while sitting on his heels during a ceremony at a Japanese temple, Yoshiaki Sato noticed that his calves tingled and swollen. Sato wondered if his limited blood flow was the key to experiencing this sensation, said Steven Munatones, CEO of KAATSU, an eponymous blood flow restriction and education company. Munatones co-founded KAATSU Global – which translates to “extra pressure” in English – with Sato in 2014 after being mentored by him on the Kaatsu technique for 13 years in Japan.

Seven years after that initial tingling sensation, Sato “experimented with different types of bands placed in different places on his body – from his head to his chest to his lower legs,” Munatones said by email. “In 1973, he suffered an ankle fracture and rehabilitated using KAATSU.”

This was the first experiment with the KAATSU cycle mode, Munatones added, which involves inflating bands with internal “air jackets” for 30 seconds as the bands compress around the upper limbs, then deflate for a period of 30 seconds. five seconds before repeating the cycle. This rhythmic compression slows blood flow to the heart and therefore allows the veins and capillaries in the treated areas to become engorged with blood – visible as the skin gradually reddens – while you exercise, Munatones said.

This engorgement accelerates several natural biochemical reactions, such as the secretion nitric oxide, Human growth hormone, insulin growth factor-1 and beta-endorphins, all of which have different roles in increasing blood supply, preventing tissue damage, regulating body composition and muscle growth, growing bones and tissues, and suppressing pain.

“Individuals exercise while applying BFR to improve muscle mass, muscle strength, reduce pain, improve recovery, increase cardiovascular capacity, and increase athletic performance,” physiotherapist Nicholas Rolnick said by E-mail.

Since Sato’s discovery and subsequent studies of thousands of people, athletes, fitness enthusiasts and Olympians, including long-distance runner Galen Rupp, the diver Laura wilkinsonswimmer Michel André and alpine skier Mikaela shiffrin – benefited from the technique. But you don’t have to be an athlete to use Kaatsu or blood flow restriction training – here’s what the experts say you should know before you try it.

How it works

When someone is exercising while doing Kaatsu or restricting blood flow, the blood and metabolic byproducts are “stuck in the muscle, unable to go,” Rolnick said.

“Metabolites increase muscle fatigue, causing the muscle to work much harder than it normally would to produce contraction at light loads,” he added. “We have to work really hard to keep up with the exercise and this extra effort, together with the fatigue produced by the BFR, accelerates the gains in muscle mass and strength.”

Muscle fibers needed to perform high-intensity actions – such as jumping, throwing, lifting weights, or kicking – are recruited at lower intensities than usually required, said Stephen Patterson, professor of physiology and performance. of applied exercise at St Mary’s University in London. , by email. This means that someone could lift 20-30% of their maximum weight instead of the usual 70% or more, while still experiencing a response similar to training with heavier loads, he added.

What to know before trying the BFR

People to whom these experts have sold related, treated or studied products include athletes of almost all ability levels, people with sedentary lifestyles and people recovering from injuries, and range from 18 to 104 years old.

The ability to use much lower weights when training to restrict blood flow to build muscle and increase strength “is especially beneficial for those who are injured or have other conditions that do not allow them to to lift heavy weights or perform high intensity aerobic exercise, ”Patterson said. . This includes people who have recently had surgery or who are paraplegic or quadriplegic.

“The main issues with rehabilitation are the inability of patients to train effectively due to injury or post-surgical precautions as well as pain,” Rolnick said. “The growth of BFR training allows people who would not be able to challenge their bodies under normal circumstances to build more strength and muscle mass at times when it would be nearly impossible.”

If you’ve just had surgery and have large incisions with stitches and want to practice Kaatsu immediately, talk to your doctor first, Munatones said. “The reason is that the incision will heal much, much faster than normal and their skin can grow very quickly above their stitches – which usually surprises orthopedic surgeons how quickly the body recovers in. using KAATSU. ”

Groups for whom restriction of blood flow may not be appropriate include people with hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, arterial calcification, history of blood clots and medications or ‘conditions leading to an increased risk of coagulation, venous thromboembolism, vascular disease, sickle cell anemia. , cancer, poor circulatory system or open fracture, these experts said.

Potential side effects include dizziness, tiny red spots on the arms, bruising near equipment, pin and needle sensations, and nerve damage, some of which can be avoided by practicing flow restriction properly. blood.

Contact your doctor before trying this type of training, or if you experience these or other side effects.

How to practice the technique

When it comes to equipment, Patterson recommended using medical type products that will give you a reading to make sure the advertised pressures are true. “Exercise bands and other materials etc. can restrict blood flow, but from a safety standpoint, there is no idea what level of restriction you are applying,” he wrote by E-mail. This could limit adaptations and responses or cause injury.

“There are a lot of cuffs on the market, but my line in the sand is a pneumatic cuff that can be inflated automatically or manually (like a blood pressure cuff),” Rolnick said. “Each of these types of cuffs can carefully measure the amount of blood is limited to increase the safety profile. This is very important because as the BFR continues to grow, more cuffs will enter the market which may not. be adequate or appropriate. ”

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Rolnick and Patterson advised anyone new to blood flow restriction to work and train with trusted practitioners to determine which cuffs would be compatible with your goals – and to understand how and when to use this type of training. Otherwise, Rolnick added, you might have a higher risk of experiencing a negative result, especially since a regular exercise band cannot measure the pressure you apply.

You can expect some burning or painful sensations during or after the first two sessions, but these usually go away by the third session, said Hunter Bennett, senior lecturer in exercise science at the University of Ottawa. ‘South Australia, by email.

Once you’ve inflated the cuff, you can practice restricting blood flow by alternating repetitions and rest while training your favorite muscle group, Bennett said.

The consensus among these experts is that the use of restriction of blood flow two to four times per week is necessary to get results.

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