Many methods of training start with athletes. Athletes and those that train them are always looking for ways to get stronger, faster and recover from the day-to-day as well as injuries. Often, these methods are then used for those people that are amateur athletes, or frequent exercisers. Let's face it — if you're working out, you want results. And you want those results fast with as little discomfort as possible. Blood flow restriction is a method that is now being used to help gain strength, speed, endurance and enhance recovery — and some of the research is looking really good. But it's not appropriate for everyone.
What Is It?
Blood flow restriction, or BFR, is a method of training where a cuff or wrap is placed around a limb during training to maintain arterial blood inflow to the working muscle while preventing venous return. It "traps" the blood in the muscle and is meant to enhance changes seen at a cellular level. It can be used during resistance training, or during cardiovascular exercise such as walking. Some studies are even looking at BFR as a recovery method with no exercise.
Sounds Great, But ...
As with any method, there needs to be more research done to test the safety and efficacy of BFR training, not just for athletes, but for the average person. As with any method of training, there are contraindications:
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Varicose veins
- Cardiovascular disease
