Blood flow restriction during high load bench press does not increase bar velocity or cause physiological changes in non-occluded agonist muscles

Purpose

Blood blow restriction (BFR) can increase peak velocity and power during high load resistance training. However, previous research primarily utilized high occlusion pressures (i.e., greater than 80% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP)), and rarely measured the physiological response during or after the bench press stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of 50%AOP during acute high load bench press exercise on barbell power, velocity, and the physiological responses to this stimulus.

Methods

Resistance trained males (n = 12, 26.2 ± 6.6 yrs., 84.0 ± 10.8 kg, 176.3 ± 10.4 cm) completed a maximum strength test followed by two experimental sessions which consisted of four sets of 4 reps of the barbell bench press at 75%1RM, with or without BFR applied to both arms at 50% AOP. Significance was set to p ≤ 0.05. A series of two-way repeated measures ANOVAs with Bonferroni post hoc corrections tested for potential changes in bar velocity, power, blood lactate, and muscle thickness and activation of the anterior deltoid and pectoralis major.

Results

There were no main effects for the interaction terms “Condition×Set” or “Condition×Time,” nor for “Condition” for any variables (all p > 0.05). There was a “Time” effect for blood lactate (p < 0.001) with lactate increasing from pre- to postexercise, and a main effects for “Set” for mean (p = 0.016) and peak velocity (p = 0.005).

Conclusion

There was no difference in the change in velocity, or physiological responses during high load bench press with or without BFR at 50%AOP. While promising, use of BFR for upper body power may require pressures >50%AOP.