Electromyographic Response to Blood Flow Restriction Exercise in Healthy Adults

Summary

This pilot randomized contralateral within-participant study evaluated the immediate neuromuscular response to low-load knee extension exercise performed with and without blood flow restriction in healthy young adults.

Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one of two limb-allocation groups: blood flow restriction applied to the dominant limb or blood flow restriction applied to the non-dominant limb. In each participant, the contralateral limb completed the same exercise protocol without blood flow restriction. Therefore, all participants were assessed under both experimental conditions.

Both limb-specific conditions were completed during the same experimental session. The order of the blood flow restriction and non-blood flow restriction conditions was randomized for each participant, with a 10-minute rest period between conditions.

Blood flow restriction was applied using a pneumatic cuff positioned on the proximal thigh. Cuff pressure was individualized and set at 80% of the arterial occlusion pressure measured for the corresponding limb. Participants completed the same standardized low-load knee extension protocol under both conditions.

Surface electromyography was used to record vastus lateralis activity from each assessed limb during the exercise protocol. Muscle activity was primarily evaluated using root mean square amplitude normalized to the pre-exercise maximal voluntary isometric contraction recorded from the corresponding limb. Root mean square amplitude during maximal voluntary isometric contraction trials was also recorded before and immediately after each condition.

The study aimed to compare the electromyographic response between the blood flow restriction and non-blood flow restriction conditions and to determine whether this response differed according to whether blood flow restriction was applied to the dominant or non-dominant limb.

Conditions

• Electromyographic Response to Blood Flow Restriction Exercise in Healthy Adults

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Bilateral low-load knee extension exercise protocol

Each participant completed the low-load knee extension exercise protocol separately with both lower limbs. Under each condition, the protocol comprised 75 repetitions distributed across four sets of 30, 15, 15, and 15 repetitions, with 30 seconds of rest between sets. One limb performed the protocol with blood flow restriction and the contralateral limb performed it without blood flow restriction. Condition order was randomized, and a 10-minute rest period was provided between the two limb-specific conditions. Vastus lateralis surface electromyography was recorded continuously during each protocol.

DEVICE

Pneumatic blood flow restriction cuff

A pneumatic cuff was placed on the proximal thigh of the limb randomized to the blood flow restriction condition and inflated to 80% of the individualized arterial occlusion pressure during the low-load knee extension protocol. The cuff was not applied to the contralateral limb, which completed the same protocol under the non-blood flow restriction condition. The cuff was fully deflated and removed after completion of the blood flow restriction condition.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad de Extremadura

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-03-03

Primary Completion

2026-04-15

Completion

2026-04-15

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations