Blood Flow Restriction Training in Basketball Players

Examination of the Effect of Exercise Training With Upper Extremity Blood Flow Restriction on Upper Extremity Muscle Strength and Performance in Basketball Players

Blood Flow Restrictive Exercises (BFR) provide strength increase with less load than required for traditional muscle strengthening and power. As an alternative for populations that have difficulty training with high loads and speeds, low-intensity BFR training has been shown to improve muscle strength and aerobic parameters and to be safe, even in professional athletes and individuals with chronic diseases in various populations. The aim of our study is to examine the effects of BFR applied to the upper extremity on upper extremity muscle strength and performance in basketball players.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Basketball Players
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Blood Flow Restriction

Detailed Description

Basketball is a demanding sport that requires participants to display a high level of physical fitness and special sporting skills. Basketball requires a high level of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning and is not only a team sport, but also a sport that requires players to demonstrate their individual characteristics. In this regard, it is thought that the determination of performance components based on field tests is a more suitable method for determining the athletic levels of athletes with special needs.

BFR, which aims to restrict blood flow to the muscle during exercise, is traditionally known as 'kaatsu'. Blood flow is restricted with a pressure-controlled and monitorable exercise belt produced for BFR. In order for the method to be successful, the tourniquet method must be applied to the proximal region of the extremity, and in this way, less blood flow to the muscle can actually be achieved.

With BFR, it is recommended that the external pressure be made sufficient to restrict the arterial oxygen pressure between 40% and 80%, and it is thought that the effects of exercise increase in this hypoxic environment. In this way, it is sufficient to perform the exercises at 20% to 40% of the 1 maximum repetition, not 60-85%, which is normally required for muscle hypertrophy. An ischemic and hypoxic muscle environment during BFR; It has been hypothesized that it is produced to cause high levels of metabolic stress and mechanical tension. Both metabolic stress and mechanical tension have been described as "primary hypertrophy factors" and are theorized to activate other mechanisms for muscle growth.

Strength training performed by restricting blood flow plays an important role in muscle hypertrophy by activating the endocrine system. It has been proven that low-intensity blood flow restriction training increases the plasma concentration of growth hormone more than normal exercises. BFR involves low-intensity resistance training and is placed on the proximal portion of the lower or upper extremity muscles to be worked with a bandage or cuff that restricts blood flow, providing appropriate superficial pressure.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of BFR applied to the upper extremity on upper extremity muscle strength and performance in basketball players.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Buket AKINCI, Assoc.Prof.; Phone Number: 1208 +90 212 409 12 12; Email: bakinci@biruni.edu.tr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Busra ERDEM, PT; Phone Number: +90 530 084 18 51; Email: berdemerdemb@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being between the ages of 18-25,
• Having been attending training regularly for at least one year,
• Having been playing basketball as a licensed player for at least 3 months,
• Male athletes,
• Volunteering to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with orthopedic or neurological disabilities that may prevent the exercise test,
• Individuals who have had a sports injury in the last 6 months,
• Not actively participating in training,
• Taking a break from sports
• Individuals with inadequate cooperation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Blood Flow Restriction Training Group; While the basketball players continue their current basketball training; The 90-minute BFR program will be applied 3 sessions a week for 3 weeks. In the BFR program, biceps curls, triceps curls, shoulder presses, shoulder abduction exercises and sport-specific routine training will be applied. Exercises: 30% of 1 maximum repetition with resistance and 60% of arterial occlusion pressure restricted; Based on previous studies in the literature, the first set will be performed with 30 repetitions and the other three sets with 15 repetitions, a total of 4 sets and a 30-second rest between sets. There will be a 10-minute warm-up exercise before each BFR training and a 10-minute cool-down exercise at the end of the training.	Other: Blood Flow Restriction; Before BFR training, a repetition maximal (1-RM) test will be determined by selecting a weight with which athletes can perform a maximum of 10 repetitions. The number of repetitions obtained here and the weight lifted will be written into the Brzycki formula, whose validity and reliability has been proven, and 1-TM will be calculated. Brzycki formula; 1-TM = [100 x (Weight Lifted) / [(102.78 - 2.78 x (Number of Reps)] The arterial occlusion pressure of the participants will be measured with a Doppler Ultrasound device by increasing the cuff to the point where the auscultatory pulse of the brachial artery ceases until occlusion occurs in the brachial artery. Then, 60% of this value will be calculated and BFR will be performed during the exercises.
No Intervention: Routine Training; Initial evaluations will be made for all participants. Then, they will continue their routine basketball training programs for 3 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Bench press test	Bench Press 1RM test will be applied for upper extremity muscle strength. the athlete's 1RM weight will be determined.	Change from Baseline Bench press test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks
Hand Grip Strength	"Jamar (NY 10533)" brand dynamometer, one of the hydraulic measuring instruments, will be used to measure grip force.	Change from Baseline Hand Grip Strength at 3 weeks and 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
20 m Sprint Test	A 20 m speed test will be applied to evaluate the speed of the participants. Running basketball players will be asked to run the 20-meter track at maximum level after starting.	Change from Baseline Bench press test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks
T Agility Test	T test will be applied to evaluate the agility of the participants.The best time of the participants will be recorded.	Change from Baseline T Agility Test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks
Free Throw Test	A shooting test will be applied to evaluate the shooting skills of the athletes. Athletes will be asked to make 2 sets of free throws with 8 repetitions after the "Start" command from the starting position behind the foul (free throw) line. Total scores will be recorded at the end of the test.	Change from Baseline Free Throw Test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks
Fatigue Assessment	The modified Borg CR10 scale will be used to evaluate perceived fatigue.	immediately after each BFR session

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Biruni University
• Investigators: Study Chair: Buket AKINCI, Assoc.Prof., Biruni University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 30, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 15, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 9, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 14, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 14, 2024
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: basketball; bloodflowrestriction; basketball performance; kaatsu training
• Other Study ID Numbers: 80-23-05

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: The data will be shared during the publication process if the journal will ask.

Drug and device information, study documents

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