Aerobic‐interval exercise with blood flow restriction potentiates early markers of metabolic health in man

Abstract

Exercise with a reduction in muscle blood flow caused by inflating pressure cuffs around the limbs, known as blood-flow-restricted (BFR)-exercise, has become a popular training method among many top athletes, as exemplified by the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. 1 However, the potential use of this method to prevent and treat lifestyle-related diseases is an underexplored area of research.

New insights into the molecular basis of how physical activity contributes to human health

“…Whether BFR exercise is a treatment option for patient with metabolic complications needs to be further elucidated in patient populations. 8 Children often live out their natural urge to be physically active. Eftestøl et al showed in experiments with rats how beneficial it is to exercise at a young age.…”

“…In healthy men, BFR in exercise has the potential to show in an early stage the exercise‐induced molecular adaptations that are responsible for the improvement of metabolic health. Whether BFR exercise is a treatment option for patient with metabolic complications needs to be further elucidated in patient populations 8 …”

Metabolism revisited

“…Given the differences in skeletal muscle function between subjects of different ages or gender, 12 the study of metabolic effects of muscle tissue needs to differentiate accordingly. Christiansen et al have seen first indications of an added benefit of controlled blood flow restriction in exercise‐mediated induction of factors regulating cholesterol production and glucose homeostasis 13 . Marafon et al investigated the influence of different exercise regimen patterns on endoplasmic reticulum stress markers in skeletal muscle, showing that, while chronic exercise attenuates ER stress, acute exercise requires adequate recovery periods to avoid pathophysiologic induction of ER stress, with subsequent metabolic consequences 14 .…”

“…Christiansen et al have seen first indications of an added benefit of controlled blood flow restriction in exercise-mediated induction of factors regulating cholesterol production and glucose homeostasis. 13 Marafon et al investigated the influence of different exercise regimen patterns on endoplasmic reticulum stress markers in skeletal muscle, showing that, while chronic exercise attenuates ER stress, acute exercise requires adequate recovery periods to avoid pathophysiologic induction of ER stress, with subsequent metabolic consequences. 14 Loss of muscle mass, which can be due to several different pathophysiologic mechanisms, has relatively recently been shown to be a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease.…”

Relativistic aspects of physiology: Expanding our understanding of conventional control loops

“…8,9 Such adaptations prompt questions: How to evaluate their pathological significance? [10][11][12] Under which conditions do they become harmful? How to recalibrate expected outcomes of measurements to account for these changes?…”