Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Blood Flow Restriction Training

February 12, 2026 updated by: Fatma Eken, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University

The Effects of Training History on Physiological and Biochemical Responses in Blood Flow Restriction Strength Training

This study is designed to examine the short-term and long-term effects of blood flow restriction exercise training on physiological and biochemical markers in individuals who are new to strength training and in experienced athletes training at different load levels. This exercise method involves placing a special inflatable cuff around the upper part of the thigh. The cuff partially limits blood flow to the area, which helps the muscles work more effectively during exercise. The cuff will be applied only to the individual's dominant leg (the leg you use more often in daily activities), but all exercises will be performed using both legs. The exercise program will last for a total of six weeks and will be carried out twice per week. The pressure applied by the cuff will be individually adjusted based on each participant's physical characteristics to ensure safety and comfort. The study will include a total of 30 healthy participants aged between 18 and 40 years. Participants will be divided into two groups: individuals who have recently started strength training and experienced athletes with different levels of training experience.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

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 Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Merkez
      • Afyonkarahisar, Merkez, Turkey (Türkiye), 03030
        • Recruiting
        • Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University
        • Contact:

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of healthy adults aged 18-40 years, including individuals who are new to strength training and experienced athletes from different sports disciplines with varying training load levels.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Voluntary participation of healthy adults
  • Age between 18 and 40 years
  • No history of orthopedic pathology or current symptoms affecting the lower extremities
  • For individuals with prior training experience: engagement in strength training at least two days per week for the past year across different sports disciplines
  • For individuals new to strength training: no regular participation in strength training within the past six months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, peripheral vascular diseases, deep vein thrombosis, neurological disorders, obesity, or a diagnosis of diabetes
  • Current or previous diagnosis of cancer
  • Individuals who do not consent to participate in the study

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Novice Training Group
This group consists of healthy individuals who are new to strength training. Participants in this group will perform low-intensity resistance exercises with blood flow restriction applied to the proximal thigh using an inflatable cuff.
Other: Blood Flow Restriction Training
Adaptation to blood flow restriction exercise training and the individually tailored occlusion pressure will be determined during the initial sessions. Occlusion pressure will be assessed while the participant is in a supine position by inflating a pneumatic cuff placed on the thigh until the tibial artery pulse is no longer detectable, which will be confirmed using a handheld Doppler device. To ensure safe adaptation to the training protocol, the pressure applied during the first two training sessions will be set below the individually determined target pressure. The full target occlusion pressure will be implemented starting from the third training session. For example, if the target pressure is determined as 300 mmHg, exercises will be performed at 200 mmHg during the first session and 250 mmHg during the second session. Blood flow restriction training principles will be applied during exercise loading. Four different types of exercises will be set up in four sets.
Experienced Athletes Group
This group includes healthy experienced athletes from different sports disciplines and training load levels. Participants will perform the same low-intensity blood flow restriction exercise protocol applied to the proximal thigh using an inflatable cuff.
Other: Blood Flow Restriction Training
Adaptation to blood flow restriction exercise training and the individually tailored occlusion pressure will be determined during the initial sessions. Occlusion pressure will be assessed while the participant is in a supine position by inflating a pneumatic cuff placed on the thigh until the tibial artery pulse is no longer detectable, which will be confirmed using a handheld Doppler device. To ensure safe adaptation to the training protocol, the pressure applied during the first two training sessions will be set below the individually determined target pressure. The full target occlusion pressure will be implemented starting from the third training session. For example, if the target pressure is determined as 300 mmHg, exercises will be performed at 200 mmHg during the first session and 250 mmHg during the second session. Blood flow restriction training principles will be applied during exercise loading. Four different types of exercises will be set up in four sets.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Muscle Thickness
Time Frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks of training
Baseline and after 6 weeks of training
Blood Biomarkers
Time Frame: Blood samples will be collected at three time points: before and immediately after the third training session to assess acute responses, and at the end of the 6-week training period to assess long-term effects.
Oxidative Stress Markers Growth Factor Levels Muscle Damage Markers
Blood samples will be collected at three time points: before and immediately after the third training session to assess acute responses, and at the end of the 6-week training period to assess long-term effects.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University

Collaborators

Kocatepe University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

January 20, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 20, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 20, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 6, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 6, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 12, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025/9

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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