Effect of LL-BFRE Training on Volitional Muscle Activation in Subjects with Knee Joint Impairment

The training program lasted four weeks with three training sessions per week, for a total of 12 training sessions. Participants in the BFR group exercised with blood flow restriction caused by an inflatable cuff placed on the proximal part of the thigh and inflated to 120-140 mmHg. Subjects trained against the maximum mechanical resistance they could overcome thirty times (30 repetitions maximum; 30 RM). All training sessions were performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist and included leg press and knee extension exercises.

The training program lasted four weeks with three training sessions per week, for a total of 12 training sessions. Participants in SHAM-BFR group performed an identical exercise protocol as experimental (BFR) group, while having thigh cuff inflated to only 20 mmHg, which did not affect normal muscle blood flow. Subjects trained against the maximum mechanical resistance they could overcome thirty times (30 repetitions maximum; 30 RM). All training sessions were performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist and included leg press and knee extension exercises.