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. 2021 Jun 28;12:678407. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.678407

TABLE 2.

Characteristics of the studies that investigated the effects of BFR training on cardiovascular outcomes.

Reference (year) Sample (n) Exercises protocol Cardiovascular outcomes BFR protocol BFRP adjusted yes/no (reason) Main findings
Healthy young adults
Kim et al. (2009) Young males (30) Leg press, knee flexion, and knee extension (20% 1RM; 2 sets of 10 reps; 3x/week; 3 weeks) AC, HR, SBP, and DBP BFRP: 20% above systolic SBP; Cuff width: 5 cm No (NR)
Credeur et al. (2010) Young males and females (20) Handgrip (60% MVC; 15 grips/min; 20 min; 3x/week; 4 weeks) FMD and AD BFRP:80 mmHg; Cuff width: 4 cm No (NR) ↓FMD and ↔ for other outcomes
Evans et al. (2010) Young males (9) Heel raises (30% MVC; 4 sets of 50 reps; 3x/week; 4 weeks) MFC BFRP:150 mmHg; Cuff width: 15 cm No (NR) ↑MFC
Patterson and Ferguson (2010) Young females (16) Heel raises (25–50% 1RM; 3 sets until failure; 3x/week; 4 weeks) RH BFRP:110 mmHg; Cuff width: NR No (NR) ↑RH
Clark et al. (2011) Young males and females (16) Knee extension (30% 1RM; 3 sets until failure; 3x/week; 4 weeks) PWV BFRP:30% above SBP; Cuff width: 6 cm No (NR)
Kacin and Strazar (2011) Young males (10) Knee extension (15% MVC; reps until failure; 4x/week; 4 weeks) HR, SBP, and DBP BFRP:230 mmHg; Cuff width: 13 cm No (NR) ↑DBP and ↔ for other outcomes
Hunt et al. (2012) Young males (9) Handgrip (40% 1RM; 3 sets until failure; 3x/week; 4 weeks) FMD and AD BFRP:80 mmHg; Cuff width:13 cm No (NR) ↑AD and ↔ for other outcomes
Fahs et al. (2012) Young males (46) Knee extension and knee flexion exercises (20% 1RM; 75 reps; 3x/week; 6 weeks) AC, HR, SBP, DBP, and VCo BFRP:160–200 mmHg; Cuff width: 5 cm Yes (NR) ↑VCo ↓DBP and ↔ for other outcomes
Ozaki et al. (2013) Young males (19) Bench press (30% 1RM; 30 reps; 3x/week; 6 weeks) AC, SBP, and DBP BFRP:100–160 mmHg; Cuff width: 3 cm Yes (to reduce arterial blood flow by 60% at rest and by 30% during exercise)
Hunt et al. (2013) Young males (11) Heel raises (30% of 1RM; 3 sets until failure; 3x/week; 6 weeks) FMD and AD BFRP:110 mmHg; Cuff width: 13 cm No (NR) ↑FMD ↑AD
Fahs et al. (2014) Young males and females (16) Knee extension (30% 1RM; 2–4 sets until failure;3x/week; 6 weeks) PWV BFRP: 80% of total restriction pressure; Cuff width: 5 cm No (NR) ↑PWV
Crisafulli et al. (2018) Young males (17) Handgrip (30% MVC; 30 reps per minute for 3 min; 3x/week; 4 weeks) HR and MAP BFRP:75–150% of SBP; Cuff width: NR Yes (NR) ↓MAP and ↔ for other outcomes
Mouser et al. (2019) Young males and females (40) Biceps curl and knee extension (15% 1RM; 4 sets of 90 reps; 2x/week; 8 weeks) VCo BFRP: 40 and 80% of total restriction pressure Cuff width: 5 cm No (NR) ↑VCo
Christiansen et al. (2020) Young males (10) Interval cycling (61–81% of MAPO; 3 sets of three 2-min bouts; 3x/week; 6 weeks) AD BFRP: 180 mmHg; Cuff width: 13 cm No (NR) ↑AD
Early et al. (2020) Young males and females (31) Biceps curl, elbow extension, knee extension, leg curl and heel raise (30% 1RM; 3sets of 30 reps; 2–3x/week; 8 weeks HR, SBP, DBP, and FMD BFRP: 250 or 350 mmHg Cuff width: 5.5 or 7.0 cm No (NR) ↓SBP ↑FMD and ↔ for other outcomes
Ramis et al. (2020) Young males (28) Elbow flexion and knee extension (30% 1RM; 4 sets of 21–23 reps; 3x/week; 8 weeks) FMD BFRP: 20 mmHg below SBP; Cuff width: 14–16 cm No (NR) ↑FMD
Zhao et al. (2020) Young males (24) Elbow flexion (30% 1RM; 5 sets of 20 reps; 5xweek; 8 weeks) HR, SBP, DBP, and MAP BFRP: 65 or 130% of SBP; Cuff width: NR No (NR) ↓HR and ↔ for other outcomes
Healthy middle-aged and older adults
Ozaki et al. (2011) Older males and females (23) Treadmill walking (45% of heart rate reserve; 20 min; 4x/week; 10 weeks) AC, HR, SBP, and DBP BFRP:140–200 mmHg; Cuff width: 5 cm Yes (to impose progressive overload in muscle and central circulation) ↑AC and ↔ for other outcomes
Patterson and Ferguson (2011) Older males and females (10) Heel raises (25% 1RM; 3 sets until failure;3x/week; 4 weeks) RH BFRP:110 mmHg; Cuff width: NR No (NR) ↑RH
Yasuda et al. (2014) Older males and females (19) Knee extension and leg press (20–30% 1RM; 75 reps; 2x/week; 12 weeks) FMD, HR, SBP, DBP, and AS BFRP:120–270 mmHg; Cuff width: 5 cm Yes (to achieve high levels of perceived effort). ↑FMD and ↔ for other outcomes
Yasuda et al. (2015a) Older females (14) Arm curl and triceps down (elastic resistance; 75 reps; 2x/week; 12 weeks) HR, SBP, DBP, FMD, and AS BFRP:120–270 mmHg; Cuff width: 3 cm Yes (to achieve high levels of perceived effort).
Yasuda et al. (2015b) Older males and females (17) Arm curl and triceps down (Elastic resistance; 75 reps; 2x/week; 12 weeks) HR, SBP, DBP, FMD, and AS BFRP:120–270 mmHg; Cuff width: 3 cm Yes (to achieve high levels of perceived effort).
Shimizu et al. (2016) Older males and females (40) Leg extension, leg press, rowing and chest press (20% 1RM; 3 × 20 reps; 3x/week; 4 weeks) RH BFRP: 100% of SBP Cuff width: 10 or 7 cm No (NR) ↑RH
Kim et al. (2017) Young and older males and females (27) Handgrip (20% MVC; 3 sets until failure; 2x/week; 4 weeks) VCo, HR, SBP, and DBP BFRP:130% of SBP; Cuff width: 16 cm No (NR) ↑VCo and ↔ for other outcomes
Junior et al. (2019) Middle-aged males (21) Treadmill walking (6 km⋅h–1, 5% grade; 5 sets of 3 min; 3x/week; 6 weeks) HR and HRV BFRP:80–100 mmHg; Cuff width: 18 cm Yes (to allow participants to adapt to the BFRP during the early phase of the training) ↓HR ↑HRV
Ferreira Junior et al. (2019) Middle-aged males (21) Treadmill walking (6 km⋅h–1, 5% grade; 5 sets of 3 min; 3x/week; 6 weeks) SBP, DBP, and HRV BFRP:80–100 mmHg; Cuff width: 18 cm Yes (to allow participants to adapt to the BFRP during the early phase of the training) ↑HRV ↓SBP and ↔ for other outcomes
Clinical populations
Cezar et al. (2016) Hypertensive females (23) Wrist flexion (30% MVC; 3 sets until failure; 2x/week; 8 weeks) HR, SBP, and DBP BFRP:70% of SBP; Cuff width: NR Yes; based on SBP (to adjust BFRP to SBP in each training session). ↓SBP ↓DBP and ↔ for other outcomes
Barbosa et al., 2018 Patients with chronic kidney disease Handgrip (40% MVC; 3 sets of 20 reps; 2x/week; 8 weeks) AD BFRP:50% of SBP; Cuff width: NR No (NR) ↑AD
Kambič et al. (2019) Patients with coronary artery disease (24) Knee extensions (30–40% 1RM; 3 sets of 8–12 reps; 2x/week; 8 weeks) HR, SBP, and DBP BFRP:15–20 mmHg above systolic BP; Cuff width: 23 cm Yes (NR) ↓SBP and ↔ for other outcomes

AC, arterial compliance; HR, heart rate; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; BFRP, blood flow restriction pressure; MVC, maximal voluntary contraction; MAPO, maximal aerobic power output; FMD, flow-mediated dilation; AD, arterial diameter; MFC, microvascular filtration capacity; RH, reactive hyperemia; PWV, pulse wave velocity; VCo, vascular conductance; MAP, mean arterial pressure; AS, arterial stiffness; HRV, heart rate variability; NR, not reported; ↔ no significant differences; ↑ increased; ↓ decreased.