Blood flow restriction: how does it work?

Blood flow restriction is a special technique that has been known for a long time and was most often used by bodybuilders to quickly build muscle mass. The goal is to limit venous outflow in the training area using blood flow restriction bands. Existing studies allow us to conclude that the force for the muscles hypertrophy development in this case is the mechanical load and greater metabolic stress compared to classical methods.

In the last few years, training with blood flow restriction has received a lot of attention from rehabilitators and professional athletes. Why?

Studies have shown that muscle hypertrophy using this strategy can be achieved at very low loads – as little as 20-30% of a one-rep maximum.

And this means:

• it is possible to influence the strength indicators of patients without overloading the damaged muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints until they are fully restored.
• it is possible to develop muscle strength and hypertrophy in athletes without destroying muscle proteins.