Effects of remote limb ischemic conditioning on muscle strength in healthy young adults: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Remote limb ischemic conditioning (RLIC) is a clinically feasible method in which brief, sublethal bouts of ischemia protects remote organs or tissues from subsequent ischemic injury. A single session of RLIC can improve exercise performance and increase muscle activation. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to assess the effects of a brief, two-week protocol of repeated RLIC combined with strength training on strength gain and neural adaptation in healthy young adults. Participants age 18-40 years were randomized to receive either RLIC plus strength training (n = 15) or sham conditioning plus strength training (n = 15). Participants received RLIC or sham conditioning over 8 visits using a blood pressure cuff on the dominant arm with 5 cycles of 5 minutes each alternating inflation and deflation. Visits 3-8 paired conditioning with wrist extensors strength training on the non-dominant (non-conditioned) arm using standard guidelines. Changes in one repetition maximum (1 RM) and electromyography (EMG) amplitude were compared between groups. Both groups were trained at a similar workload. While both groups gained strength over time (P = 0.001), the RLIC group had greater strength gains (9.38 ± 1.01 lbs) than the sham group (6.3 ± 1.08 lbs, P = 0.035). There was not a significant group x time interaction in EMG amplitude (P = 0.231). The RLIC group had larger percent changes in 1 RM (43.8% vs. 26.1%, P = 0.003) and EMG amplitudes (31.0% vs. 8.6%, P = 0.023) compared to sham conditioning. RLIC holds promise for enhancing muscle strength in healthy young and older adults, as well as clinical populations that could benefit from strength training.

Remote Ischemic Conditioning With Exercise (RICE)—Rehabilitative Strategy in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke: Rationale, Design, and Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Study

“…It offered neuroprotection through enhanced cerebral perfusion, cerebral collateral formation, and tolerance of cerebral ischemia ( 40 , 41 ). Furthermore, studies have shown that long-term RIC training can reduce nerve injury ( 42 ), promote nerve remodeling and angiogenesis ( 25 ), and promote the motor function of paralyzed limbs ( 43 , 44 ). Chronic and repetitive RIC has been applied to clinical trials and is expected to exert its protective role against cerebral ischemia and repeated stroke in a long-term fashion ( 40 ).…”

Effect of 2-Weeks Ischemic Preconditioning on Exercise Performance: A Pilot Study

“…Additionally, Carvalho et al ( 2020 ) reported that IPC combined with knee extensor resistance training throughout 6 weeks (2 days/week) increased the knee extensor one-repetition maximum more than the placebo intervention in resistance-trained individuals. Furthermore, Surkar et al ( 2020 ) reported that remote IPC combined with wrist extensor resistance training throughout 2 weeks (3 days/weeks) increased the wrist extensor one-repetition maximum more than the placebo intervention in healthy young adults. These findings suggest that a combination intervention of IPC and exercise training, rather than IPC intervention alone, may be more effective to increase whole-body exercise and its-related parameters.…”

The Pump-Leak/Donnan ion homeostasis strategies of skeletal muscle fibers and neurons

“…It also helps explain how the ischemic membrane-damaged SMFs of DMD patients can survive for decades (Morris et al submitted). Given appropriate refinements, SM-CD modeling should be helpful in connection with muscle fatigue, endurance, trauma, volume regulation, ischemia-reperfusion injury, ion channelopathies, hibernation, cold tolerance, sarcopenia and more (e.g., Donohue et al 2000; Lindinger et al 2011; dePaoli et al 2013; Yu et al 2013; Clausen 2015; Ammar et al 2015; Bækgaard Nielsen et al 2017; Boërio et al 2018; Hostrup and Bangsbo 2017; Hotfiel et al 2018; Cannon 2018; Copithorne and Rice 2019; Li et al 2020; Metzger et al 2020; Altamura et al 2020; Surkar et al 2020; Thoma et al 2020).…”