Day-to-day change in muscle strength and MRI-measured skeletal muscle size during 7 days KAATSU resistance training: A case study

Abstract

Int. J. KAATSU Training Res. 2005; 1: [71][72][73][74][75][76] The purpose of this study was to examine the daily skeletal muscle hypertrophic and strength responses to one week of twice daily KAATSU training, and follow indicators of muscle damage and inflammation on a day-to-day basis, for one subject. KAATSU training resulted in a 3.1% increase in muscle-bone CSA after 7 days of training. Both MRI-measured maximum quadriceps muscle crosssectional area (Q-CSA max) and muscle volume can be seen increasing after the first day of KAATSU training, and continuously increasing for the rest of the training period. Following 7 days KAATSU resistance training, the increases in Q-CSA max and muscle volume were 3.5% and 4.8%, respectively. Relative strength (isometric knee extension strength per unit Q-CSA max) was increased after training (before, 3.60 Nm/cm 2 ; after, 4.09 Nm/cm 2 ). There were very modest increases in CK and myoglobin after a single bout of KAATSU exercise in the first day of the training, but the values were return towards normal at 2 days after the training. IL-6 remained unchanged throughout the training period. In conclusion, our subject gained absolute strength and increased muscle size after only one week of low intensity KAATSU resistance training. Indicators of muscle damage and inflammation were not elevated by this training. KAATSU training appears to be a safe and effective method to rapidly induce skeletal muscle strength and hypertrophy.

The Effects of a 7-Week Practical Blood Flow Restriction Program on Well-Trained Collegiate Athletes

“…However, present-day research has demonstrated that weight training with light weight and high repetitions can result in significant increases in muscle size and strength when it is used in conjunction with blood flow restriction (BFR). These observations have been made in healthy, untrained, and recreationally trained participants (2,31,32,39) and in athletic populations (3,30,36).…”

The effects of low-intensity resistance training with vascular restriction on leg muscle strength in older men

“…The highest pressure recorded was 240 mmHg. The pressure for VR pressure was decided based on the protocol used in the previous studies investigating the changes in lower body strength in young adults (Abe et al 2005a;Yasuda et al 2005). It should be noted that changes in restriction pressure have a potential effect on the magnitude of metabolic challenge due to changes in the amount of blood flow to the lower extremities and venous blood accumulation in the lower extremities.…”

Overview of neuromuscular adaptations of skeletal muscle to KAATSU Training

“…When dynamic knee extension exercises at 20% 1-RM were performed for 7 days, the authors reported a 17% and a 14% increase in MVC and 1-RM strength, respectively [Abe et al, 2005a]. In a somewhat similar study, a low intensity resistance training protocol was used in combination with blood flow restriction for two weeks, which resulted in 16.8% and 22.6% increases in squat and leg curl 1-RM strength, respectively.…”

“…KAATSU and no-KAATSU groups also experienced changes in muscle volumes for the quadriceps (7.7% and 1.4%, respectively) biceps femoris (10.1% and 1.9%, respectively) and gluteus maximus (9.1% and -0.6%, respectively) after two-weeks of twice daily low intensity (20% 1-RM) resistance training; however, only the changes with the KAATSU protocol were statistically significant following training and changes in muscle size with KAATSU were similar to those utilizing traditional highintensity resistance training programs for 3 months [Goto et al, 2005;McCall et al, 1999]. Additionally, one week of twice-daily KAATSU training consisting of knee extension exercises at 20% of 1-RM resulted in a 3% increase in the quadriceps muscle CSA [Abe et al, 2005a], whereas completion of an 8-week training program that included five sets of knee extension exercises at an intensity of 20% 1-RM with KAATSU resulted in a 10.3% increase in knee extension CSA, but no significant changes in muscle CSA were determined when exercising at the same intensity without blood flow restriction [Takarada et al, 2004]. Finally, Yasuda et al (2005) observed a 7.8% and a 1.8% increase in quadriceps muscle CSA in KAATSU and no-KAATSU groups, respectively, after a 2-week training (at 20% 1-RM) program.…”