The Effects Of Blood Flow Restriction On Endothelial Function: Pilot Study

Blood flow restriction has increased in popularity as it has shown promising results in combination with resistance exercise. However, the effects of BFR with endurance exercise and its effects on endothelial function are limitedly known. PURPOSE: To examine if blood flow restriction during exercise affected endothelial function, measured via flow-mediated dilation (FMD) before and after exercise. METHODS: 5 apparently young healthy subjects completed two exercise visits. During the first visit, subjects completed a cardiopulmonary exercise test with a graded exercise test protocol to determine lactate thresholds. During the second visit, subjects performed 30 min of cycling with unilateral BFR applied to the right leg at 60% limb occlusion pressure, while the left leg served as control. Popliteal artery FMD was assessed in both legs before exercise and at 15, 30, 45, and 60min post-exercise. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in FMD within or between legs at any post-exercise time point (p > 0.05) Effect sizes were small, indicating similar endothelial responses in both limbs across the recovery period CONCLUSION: A single bout of moderate intensity cycling with unilateral BFR did not significantly alter endothelial function compared with the non-occluded leg. These findings suggest that short-duration BFR endurance exercise does not impair or enhance acute endothelial function reactivity in healthy young individuals.