The Immediate Physiological and Perceptual Response to Blood-flow Restricted Strength Training With Eccentric Loading (E-BFR)

The Immediate Physiological and Perceptual Response to Blood-flow Restricted Strength Training With Eccentric Loading (E-BFR): a Randomised Crossover Study in Healthy Subjects

Decreasing workloads in strength training makes it more tolerable for a broad range of people. When designed as blood-flow restriction training, similar gains in strength and muscle mass are achieved compared to traditional training. Adding high training loads to blood-flow restriction training only in the eccentric phase (BFR-ECC) might achieve superior gains in muscle strength while still maximizing tolerability of the training stimuli.

This study aims to investigate the acute physiological and perceptual response of blood-flow restriction training with eccentric loading in comparison to traditional eccentric training. The study recruits healthy individuals ≥ 18 years.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Eccentric blood-flow restriction training; Other: Eccentric free-flow training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Zurich, Switzerland, 8001
    • University of Zurich

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinically Healthy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Physical or intellectual impairment precluding informed consent or protocol adherence
• Pain during exercise of any origin
• History of thromboembolic event in the lower extremity
• Known pregnancy (no testing is carried out)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Eccentric blood-flow restriction trainig	Other: Eccentric blood-flow restriction training; Eccentric blood-flow restriction training
Active Comparator: Eccentric free-flow training	Other: Eccentric free-flow training; Eccentric free-flow training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
minute ventilation	recorded with breath-by-breath analysis	During the intervention (i.e., exercise) for 10 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Other variables from breath-by-breath analysis	VO2, VCO2, RER, breath rate, heart rate	During the intervention (i.e., exercise) for 10 minutes
Rate of perceived exertion	Numeric rating scale from 0-10. Participants rate perceived leg exertion and perceived respiratory exertion	Immediately after the intervention (i.e., exercise)
Near-infrared spectroscopy of the vastus lateralis	Tissue saturation	During the intervention (i.e., exercise) for 10 minutes
Delayed onset muscle soreness	Numeric rating scale 0-10 rating intensity of DOMS symptoms	24, 48, and 72 hours after each of the intervention (i.e., exercise)
Feasibility and tolerability	Custom-made questionnaire	After study completion (i.e., after the second study visit, up to 2 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Dario Kohlbrenner

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 31, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 28, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): July 28, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 6, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 4, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 31, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 28, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: eccentric training; Blood-flow restriction training; acute physiological response
• Other Study ID Numbers: BASEC2024-02223; SNCTP000006261 (Other Identifier: kofam)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Upon reasonable request

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