How Does Blood Flow Restriction Training Work? - Dr Luke Hughes

The Progress Theory

Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have Dr Luke Hughes, a Post-Doctoral research fellow in applied Exercise Physiology at St Mary’s University, and an expert on blood flow restriction training.

I’ve noticed blood flow restriction training is getting more popular in the training space and on social media. More blood flow restriction products are available to buy and people are starting to utilise this method to enhance their training. But is it worth the hype? What are the mechanisms behind blood flow restriction training, how does it work? Can anyone use it and is it possible for it to be dangerous if used inappropriately? Well, Luke provides all the answers to these questions so every listener will have information to help decide whether blood flow restriction training is right for them and how to use it.

In this episode, we discuss:

1:10 - An introduction to Dr Luke Hughes

6:27 - What is blood flow restriction training?

8:24 - The mechanisms behind blood flow restriction training

10:28 - Low loads used during BRF training = quicker recovery?

12:21 - Which populations can use BRF training?

14:13 - Using BRF training to help laid and fatigue management for sports performance

17:23 - Using BRF training to stop muscle wastage for astronauts in space

23:06 - How do we programme BRF training?

26:45 - BFR training after ACL reconstructive surgery

29:00 - Common mistakes using BFR

32:36 - The right pressure to use with your BFR cuffs

36:28 - What to look for when buying a BFR cuff

39:55 - Questions from viewers

40:04 - Question 1 - BFR training and pain reduction? By @cmvincentandi

44:03 - Question 2 - Can BFR training increase capillarization in muscles with a big cross-sectional area? By @kemperman_human_movement

47:32 - Question 3 - What are your thoughts on cuffs that autoregulate occlusion pressure such as the air bands by Vald and Suji? By @adammattiussi

50:29 - How to contact Luke and learn about the courses he’s leading in BFR training

An amazing episode, which really answered my original questions around whether blood flow restriction training is worth the hype. The benefits of using blood flow restriction training can’t be denied as it's been heavily supported by the research, and it seems like its benefits would be huge if used appropriately with the right patient or athlete at the right time.

I just wanted to provide some final thoughts on some key areas which really stood out to me.

• Firstly, just how useful blood flow restriction training can be during early rehab. We know after serious surgery we go through a phase of muscle weakness and a reduction in size. However, BFR training can be used almost immediately after surgery (3 days post) during bed exercises and walking and has been effective at reducing this muscle loss and aid recovery.
• Secondly, I was amazed by the potential BFR training can have for athletes. As low loads are used the recovery is much quicker, meaning we could reduce the fatigue from strength training but still get similar adaptations. This could lead to an increase in other training, or the reduction in fatigue will mean the athlete is more fresh for sports training and competition.
• And finally, the pressure created by the cuff should be specific to the individual and consistent over multiple training sessions. We currently don’t know enough about the cuffs you can buy which don’t measure pressure. Do they work or is their effect limited? More research over the coming years will hopefully explain this

Anyways I hope you enjoyed this episode and have enough information to allow yourself to make the decision if blood flow restriction training is right for your goals. Please follow @theprogresstheory on Instagram and Youtube and share this episode on your insta stories. Also, head to our website theprogresstheory.com and listen to our other episodes. We’ll see you in the next one.

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Explore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the Show

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

• Owens recovery course
• Vald Airbands
• Suji Device

Mentioned in this episode:

The Science of Hybrid Training

It was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance. However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought. But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance? In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.

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