Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) as an ergogenic aid remains poorly understood in terms of its underlying physiological mechanisms. Enhancing our knowledge from this perspective is crucial for clarifying IPC’s role as a performance-enhancing intervention.

Potential mechanisms by which IPC could improve athletic performance or healing processes are believed to have both short- and long-term effects, including enhancements of blood cell deformability, vasodilation, blood flow, mitochondrial activity, and reductions in oxidative stress and inflammatory response.

Although extensively demonstrated in clinical settings, the protective effects of IPC and its applications in sports science remain overlooked. The potential protective effects of IPC on exercise-induced muscle damage warrant further investigations.