Protocols for BFR: importance and outcomes
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training has emerged as a valuable tool for performance and recovery. Therefore, selecting the most beneficial protocols for BFR to target your training goals is important.
Traditionally for muscle mass and strength gains, resistance training must be done with heavy loads. However, the application of BFR promotes improvements with low/light loads. Therefore, you are able to train at lower intensities but still benefit! For that reason, being able to select the most beneficial and appropriate protocols for BFR is important.
Outcomes of BFR:
- Reduce fatigue
- Maintenance of strength and power
- Enhance recovery
- Promoting blood flow to muscles
- Reducing inflammation
- Inducing protein synthesis
Protocols for BFR:
BFR is typically a single joint exercise modality for strength training or low-level cardio exercise. And so the protocol must fit with the exercise modality AND intensity. From a clinical/research and a practical application there are common protocols that appear over and over. The majority are strength/resistance training based. Such as the '30/15/15/15' protocol. However, there are more protocols emerging for aerobic based exercise. So let's break them down...Strength
'30/15/15/15' protocol (Abe, 2005)
30 reps with a 2 second concentric and 2-second eccentric contraction 30 seconds rest 15 reps 30 seconds rest 15 reps 30 seconds rest 15 reps 30 seconds rest
Aerobic
'work:rest ratio' protocols
20-30 minute steady state bout at 40% VO2max or 30% HRR (Kim et al. 2016)
5 sets: 2 minutes work, 1 minute rest (Park et al. 2010)