2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (26): 4254-4264

Muscle effect, dose-effect relationship, and physiological mechanism of KAATSU-resistance training

Lei Senlin1, Zhang Minghui2, Ma Chunlian3, Gao Weifeng4, Xia Xiaoyan1, Dong Kunwei1   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: KAATSU-resistance training is a new training mode that achieves training effects through the dual stimulation of “kado” and “resistance.” Therefore, the muscle function performance is different under different KAATSU resistance training models. The dose-effect relationship between KAATSU-resistance training and muscle function performance is still inconclusive and the underlying physiological mechanism needs to be further explored.
OBJECTIVE: To sort out the recent experimental research on KAATSU and resistance training worldwide, summarize the main training effects of KAATSU and resistance training, clarify the dose-effect relationship in KAATSU and resistance training, and deeply analyze the underlying physiological mechanism, thereby providing guidance for improving muscle target functional performance.
METHODS: “ Blood flow restricting,” “pressure training,” “KAATSU training,” “KAATSU volume,” “resistance training,” “anaerobic training,” “strength training,” “muscle fitness,” “muscle hypertrophy,” “muscle strength,” “muscle endurance,” and “neuromuscular adaptation” in Chinese and English were used as keywords to conduct detailed searches in literature databases such as CNKI, WanFang, PubMed, Web of Science, and Springer. The retrieval date ended on June 30, 2022 and a total of 75 core related literatures were obtained according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: KAATSU-resistance training can strengthen muscle strength, improve muscle endurance, and promote neuromuscular adaptation. There may be an “inverted U-shaped” dose-effect relationship between KAATSU pressure and muscle function performance during KAATSU-resistance training. However, compression intervention with high occlusion pressure within the effective compression range can better enhance muscle strength performance, while compression intervention with medium occlusion pressure is more conducive to improving muscle endurance performance, and continuous compression is better than intermittent compression to promote neuromuscular adaptation. KAATSU-resistance training promotes muscle strength by inducing greater metabolic stress, promoting the secretion of muscle growth-related hormones, promoting neuromuscular adaptation, and regulating the expression of microRNAs and molecules related to skeletal muscle formation. Muscle endurance can be promoted via a series of physiological mechanisms, such as upregulating the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, hypoxia-inducible factor-1, vascular endothelial growth factor at gene or protein level, promoting skeletal muscle capillary angiogenesis, activating the phosphorylation of p38MAPK, AMPK signaling pathway, and its downstream peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α, and promoting mitochondrial production and aerobic metabolic enzyme activity. Increased recruitment of type II muscle fibers evoking a higher threshold may promote neuromuscular adaptation.

Key words: KAATSU-resistance training, muscle strength, muscle endurance, neuromuscular adaptation, KAATSU volume