2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (23): 3766-3772

Effects of endurance training with blood flow restriction on aerobic capacity, lower limb muscle strength, and sports performance: a Meta-analysis

Dong Kuan1, Xu Chengli2, Tian Jing2, Xu Changchun3   

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To systematically assess the effect of blood flow restriction combined with endurance training on aerobic capacity, lower limb muscle strength, and sports performance of athletes using Meta-analysis.
METHODS: 3210 studies were searched in CNKI, VIP, WanFang, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane databases before March 2023. After screening, 12 studies and 14 research reports were included. The traditional Meta-analysis and network Meta-analysis were performed by Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 14.
RESULTS: Endurance training with blood flow restriction had a medium effect size on maximal oxygen uptake (standardized mean difference (SMD)=0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28-0.90, P < 0.05) and no heterogeneity. The effect of continuous pressure was better than the other pressure types (P < 0.05). Compared with sports events by anaerobic energy supply, sports events by aerobic energy supply showed better effects (P < 0.05), which was set as follows: 4-8 weeks of aerobic training, 20-30 minutes once,   3 or more sessions per week, for a total of 12 or more   sessions. Secondly, endurance training with blood flow restriction showed a large effect on the lower limb muscle strength (SMD=0.99, 95% CI: 0.61-1.37, P < 0.05) and no heterogeneity. A subgroup analysis showed muscle endurance was the best improved (SMD=1.11; 95% CI: 0.37-1.85), followed by knee extension strength (SMD=1.02, 95% CI: 0.37-1.67) and knee flexion strength (SMD=0.87, 95% CI: 0.24-1.51). Finally, endurance training with blood flow restriction showed a medium effect on sports performance (SMD=0.59, 95% CI: 0.13-1.06, P < 0.05), and the subgroup analysis showed a medium effect on running performance (SMD=0.55, 95% CI: 0.05-1.06, P < 0.05) and no heterogeneity. There was only one item of soccer specific performance that was not analyzed.
CONCLUSION: Endurance training combined with blood flow restriction can improve the aerobic capacity, lower limb muscle strength, and sports performance of the athletes. And there is a large effect on lower limb muscle strength and a medium effect on aerobic capacity and sports performance. A training schedule of progressive mixed-intensity aerobic endurance training under continuous pressure for no less than 4 weeks, 3 sessions per week, 20-30 minutes per session, for 12 or more sessions in total is easy to obtain better training results.

Key words: blood flow restriction training, endurance training, aerobic capacity, athlete, Meta-analysis