Effect of Limb Occlusion Pressure Attainment on Cardiovascular, Perceptual, and Performance Responses

October 8, 2025 updated by: Teri Herberger
To test the effect of limb occlusion pressure attainment in the supine, seated, and standing position on exercise performance, vascular physiology, and muscle.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attainment of limb occlusion pressure (LOP)in the supine, seated, and standing positions on indices of arterial stiffness, muscle morphology, participant perception, and performance responses. Thirty adults aged 18-40 will undergo four treatment sessions (control (no BFR), supine LOP, seated LOP, and standing LOP) in a randomized order separated by one week. A familiarization session will also occur one week before starting the treatment period. Each subject will undergo a series of tests including anthropometry, ultrasonography of the carotid artery, applanation tonometry, ultrasonography of the vastus lateralis, blood pressure acquisition, body composition, and maximal strength assessments (1RM). All sessions will consist of four sets of dumbbell wall squats performed to failure with a 2-seconds concentric and 2-seconds eccentric cadence, at 20% of their 1RM using 60% of the LOP with 1-minute rest intervals. In the supine LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the supine LOP. In the seated LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the seated LOP. And, in the standing LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the standing LOP. Assessments will be performed immediately before and after the exercise bout during each treatment session. Two-way ANOVAs will be used to examine the main effects of treatment and treatment-order interaction on pulse wave velocity, muscle cross-sectional area, perceptual responses, and exercise performance.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
27

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Salisbury, Maryland, United States, 21811
        • Salisbury University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Physically active (> 1,000 MET/min/wk) for at least six months. Weight stable for previous 6 months (+/-2.5 kg) Female subjects only- reported regular menstrual cycles for the last 2 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. BP>140/90 mmHg
  2. BMI>40 kg/m2
  3. Diabetes
  4. Familial hypercholesterolemia
  5. Past or current history of CHD, stroke or major CVD events. Respiratory diseases (not including asthma), endocrine or metabolic, neurological, or hematological disorders that would compromise the study or the health of the subject.
  6. Women must not be pregnant, plan to become pregnant during the study, or be nursing
  7. Active renal or liver disease
  8. All medications and supplements that influence dependent variables*
  9. Recent surgery < 2 months
  10. Alcohol abuse
  11. Sleep apnea
  12. Claustrophobia

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Supine Limb Occlusion Pressure
In the supine LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the supine LOP. After inflation of the BFR cuffs, four sets of dumbbell wall squats will be performed to failure with a 2-seconds concentric and 2-seconds eccentric cadence, at 20% of their 1RM using 60% of the LOP with 1-minute rest intervals.
Device: Delfi Training Device
Delfi (Vancouver, Canada) training devices will be used for exercise and testing sessions. Cuffs will be placed around the right and left proximal thigh. The LOP will be set at 60% immediately before exercise and will be applied during the entire exercise set (approximately 30-60 seconds in duration) following manufacturer specifications. In the supine LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the supine LOP. In the seated LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the seated LOP. And, in the standing LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the standing LOP. The cuffs will maintain pressure during training and rest periods. The LOP will be reduced to 0% immediately after completing the last set.
Experimental: Seated Limb Occlusion Pressure
In the seated LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the seated LOP. After inflation of the BFR cuffs, four sets of dumbbell wall squats will be performed to failure with a 2-seconds concentric and 2-seconds eccentric cadence, at 20% of their 1RM using 60% of the LOP with 1-minute rest intervals.
Device: Delfi Training Device
Delfi (Vancouver, Canada) training devices will be used for exercise and testing sessions. Cuffs will be placed around the right and left proximal thigh. The LOP will be set at 60% immediately before exercise and will be applied during the entire exercise set (approximately 30-60 seconds in duration) following manufacturer specifications. In the supine LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the supine LOP. In the seated LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the seated LOP. And, in the standing LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the standing LOP. The cuffs will maintain pressure during training and rest periods. The LOP will be reduced to 0% immediately after completing the last set.
Experimental: Standing Limb Occlusion Pressure
In the standing LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the standing LOP. After inflation of the BFR cuffs, four sets of dumbbell wall squats will be performed to failure with a 2-seconds concentric and 2-seconds eccentric cadence, at 20% of their 1RM using 60% of the LOP with 1-minute rest intervals.
Device: Delfi Training Device
Delfi (Vancouver, Canada) training devices will be used for exercise and testing sessions. Cuffs will be placed around the right and left proximal thigh. The LOP will be set at 60% immediately before exercise and will be applied during the entire exercise set (approximately 30-60 seconds in duration) following manufacturer specifications. In the supine LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the supine LOP. In the seated LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the seated LOP. And, in the standing LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the standing LOP. The cuffs will maintain pressure during training and rest periods. The LOP will be reduced to 0% immediately after completing the last set.
Placebo Comparator: No BFR cuff
Four sets of dumbbell wall squats will be performed to failure with a 2-seconds concentric and 2-seconds eccentric cadence, at 20% of their 1RM using 60% of the LOP with 1-minute rest intervals with no BFR cuffs
Device: Delfi Training Device
Delfi (Vancouver, Canada) training devices will be used for exercise and testing sessions. Cuffs will be placed around the right and left proximal thigh. The LOP will be set at 60% immediately before exercise and will be applied during the entire exercise set (approximately 30-60 seconds in duration) following manufacturer specifications. In the supine LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the supine LOP. In the seated LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the seated LOP. And, in the standing LOP session, the BFR cuffs will be pressurized to 60% of the standing LOP. The cuffs will maintain pressure during training and rest periods. The LOP will be reduced to 0% immediately after completing the last set.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Arterial Stiffness
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
Non-invasive pulse tonometers (Complior Analytic Tonometer, Alam Medical, Vincennes, France) will be used to simultaneously obtain arterial pressure waveforms at the carotid, brachial, radial and femoral arteries throughout ten cardiac cycles. Surface distance between the two recording sites will be measured to the nearest 0.5 cm. Subsequently, this process is repeated to measure arterial pressure waveforms at the carotid and radial arteries. Pulse wave velocity for the carotid-femoral (aortic PWV) and carotid-radial (brachial PWV) recordings will be determined by normalizing the waveform foot-to-foot time delay to the distance between recording sites (i.e., PWV = D (cm)/Δt (sec)). The participant will remain supine exactly as they were positioned during the tonometry acquisition sequence. An enlarged caliper will be used to measure the distance between the carotid and radial tonometer, and the distance between the carotid and femoral tonometer.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Muscle Morphology
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
Participants' muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) and echo intensity (EI) of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle will be assessed using a brightness mode (B-mode) of the ultrasound imaging system (Terason t3300, MA, USA) and a multi-frequency linear-array probe (Model 15L4 Smart Mark 4-15 MHz, 50-mm field of view). All ultrasonic scans will be conducted on the participants' right arm to measure the mCSA and EI of the VL. Each participant will be instructed to lay in a supine position with their shoulder abducted at 90 degree and elbow flexed at 90 degrees. The VL measurements will be obtained from their right leg at 50% of the distance between the greater tubercle and lateral epicondyle. Locations of measurements will be marked with indelible ink to ensure scans will be taken at the same area for all scans. During every scan, water soluble gel will be applied on the skin and ultrasound probe to maximize acoustic coupling and reduce near-field artifacts.
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Teri Herberger

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 2, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 2, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 5, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 10, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 8, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • #430

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Dissemination of data will occur after publication upon request.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

January 2026 - December 2029

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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