High Intensity Resistance Training Combined With Blood Flow Restricted Exercise in Elite Handball Players

Purpose of the study is: to investigate the effects of 8 weeks intervention of high intensity resistance training(HIRT) combined with Blood Flow Restricted Exercise (BFRE) compared to high intensity resistance training alone.

Detailed Description: 30 elite handball players will be randomized into 2 groups of 15 participants each. Participants will be evaluated in the week before and the week after an 8-weeks training intervention with 2 weekly sessions. Based on their baseline muscle strength the participants will be randomized into two groups: HIRT-BFRE or HIRT-HIRT. Participants in both groups will perform a full-body training programme of HIRT. After the Full-body programme, Back squat exercise with low intensity and Blood flow restriction will be performed to the HIRT-BFRE group and back squat exercise with high intensity without blood flow restriction will be performed by HIRT-HIRT. Evaluation protocol includes: muscle strength measurement with 1 repetition maximum of Back squat and knee extension, muscle mass with Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry, muscle thickness of the thigh with ultra sound measurement, vertical jump height with linear Encoder, sprint performance with 30m sprint time.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Hypertrophy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Resistance training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Denmark
  • Aarhus, Denmark, 8000
    • Recruiting
    • Dept. of Public Health
    • Contact: Simon Lønbro, PhD; Phone Number: 21600410; Email: loenbro@ph.au.dk
    • Contact: Esben Madsen, MSc student
    • Sub-Investigator: Mikkel Garbrecht, MSc student

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age >= 18 years
• Ds
• Minimum of 2 years of resistance training experience
• >< Two resistance training sessions each week
• >< three handball sessions each week
• No injuries that prevent participants to perform test of maximal muscle strength
• No injuries, that affects the muscle strength or the ability to train

Exclusion Criteria:

• Elevated blood pressure (>140/90)
• Anabolic steroids or prescription-only medical products with know or potential effect on muscle hypertrophy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: RT + BFRE; High intensity Resistance training combined with Blood Flow	Behavioral: Resistance training; A full-training programme with high intensity followed by back squat exercise with blood flow restriction. Inflatable cuffs will be placed proximally on both thighs. The cuff pressure will be 50% of individual arterial occlusion pressure and will be maintained during the rest intervals. Participants will perform 30, 15, 15 and 15 repetitions of 30% of 1 Repetition Maximum. Totally 75 repetitions will be performed. 45 seconds rest interval between sets will be given.
Active Comparator: RT; Resistance training alone	Behavioral: Resistance training; A full-training programme with high intensity followed by back squat exercise with blood flow restriction. Inflatable cuffs will be placed proximally on both thighs. The cuff pressure will be 50% of individual arterial occlusion pressure and will be maintained during the rest intervals. Participants will perform 30, 15, 15 and 15 repetitions of 30% of 1 Repetition Maximum. Totally 75 repetitions will be performed. 45 seconds rest interval between sets will be given.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Maximal Muscle Strength	Change in 1 RM (repetition maximum) muscle strength in back squat	Baseline measurements at week 1, after four weeks of exercise at week 5 and post intervention at week 10.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Lean body mass	Change in lean body mass assessed by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry	Baseline measurements at week 1 and post intervention at week 10.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Jump Performance	Change in jump height. Change in vertical jump height (in cm, with Chronojump Linear Encoder Kit). Participants will perform a counter movement jump and jump as high as possible. The jump height will be recorded.	Baseline measurements at week 1 and post intervention at week 10.
Sprint performance	Sprint performance. Change in sprint time (in seconds, with Witt speed gates). Participant will perform a 30-meter sprint on an indoor handball court. The time to perform a 30-meter sprint will be recorded.	Baseline measurements at week 1 and post intervention at week 10.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Department of Public Health, Denmark

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): November 1, 2021
• Study Completion (Anticipated): November 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 17, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 10, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 11, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 11, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 10, 2021
• Last Verified: February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: The focus is blood flow restricted exercise
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Hypertrophy
• Other Study ID Numbers: VEK ID 74646

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No