Endurance Exercise Training with Blood Flow Restriction 

Transcript:
When we do endurance exercise, like running or cycling, our bodies are put under physical stress which causes them to adapt and become fitter and stronger. The trouble is, this usually requires hard work. But what if there were a way to become fitter, by running SLOWER?
Low-intensity exercise, like walking, could be enough to improve our fitness. The trick is to restrict the amount of blood flow to our muscles using a pressure cuff. But does it really work? Different scientific studies have shown different results - and we can’t just choose the studies we like and get rid of the rest. Therefore, we need to take a closer look at ALL the evidence. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean we have to read everything - a team of researchers has done it for us!
In their systematic review of nine studies, they found that restricting blood flow during endurance exercise can lead to good improvements in fitness and performance, even in people who were already very fit in the first place. However, it was less effective for older people, and when used with low cuff pressures.
So what’s the takeaway? Endurance exercise training with blood flow restriction looks like is a useful way of improving fitness and performance, without the need for hard exercise. It could be a handy option for people who are recovering from injury, tired or athletes looking for an edge on the competition.