After training a few years ago, Mikaela Shiffrin inflated and slipped her cuffs into her upper arms and legs, cranking a 20-minute relatively simple exercise circuit. “In 15 minutes I was exhausted and more exhausted than I felt in two hours of strength training,” says two Olympic gold medalists. “I remember thinking, Ah, my arm hurts, Just like doing 200 push-ups or something. “
Tiredness was the point. This technique, also known as blood flow restriction training and pressurization, uses pressure around the arms and legs to significantly limit circulation and cause various adaptations to the body. Invented by Dr. Yoshiaki Sato, a doctor of medicine and researcher in 1966, BFR training was first adopted by Japanese bodybuilders and powerlifters. He left Japan for the first time in the early 2000s, thanks to Jim Stray Gandersen, a physiologist, doctor and former medical adviser to the International Olympic Committee, the International Ski Federation, and NASA. After hearing about the BFR training at the medical society, I visited Japan in 2013 to learn the technology. It didn’t take long before he partnered with Sato to launch pressurization in North America. Two split methods, and Stray-Gundersen, co-founded a unique BFR system called BStrong.
More than 900 papers have been published in the BFR since 2010, and when combined with relatively light strength training and aerobic exercise, muscle size and strength, oxidative capacity, and tendon density can increase rapidly. Suggests. That efficiency is why BFR has been so popular over the last decade, especially in the rehabilitation of post-surgery injuries. Athletes such as Shiffrin and marathon runner Galen Rupp are now using BFR to move the needles of their performance.
Do you know the painful, painful, almost intolerable foot burns you feel at the end of a long slope? Imagine that sensation persists and builds until your muscles are completely non-functional. In a nutshell, it’s BFR training. Restricting blood flow during exercise limits the supply of oxygen to the working muscles while promoting clearance of metabolic by-products such as lactic acid. It quickly sends homeostasis, a strong fatigue signal to the brain that disrupts the delicate physical and chemical balances in your body, creates a temporary state of metabolic crisis, and triggers a cascade of hormonal responses, and Stray. -Gundersen explains. “We draw these assimilated resources by covering the body with all sorts of major injuries, even though it is actually a combination of simple exercise and blood flow restriction.” He says.
For sports like alpine skiing that require significant strength and endurance, the BFR “checks a lot of boxes,” says Jeff Lackie, Shiffrin’s strength and conditioning coach. Lucky and Schifflin use BFR in the off-season to safely build volume during strength training sessions, as BFR is relatively moderately loaded. When the race calendar begins, they maintain her level of strength and rely on it to help recover despite the chaotic travel schedule.
There is a clear spiritual element. Lucky explains that the overwhelming amount of lactic acid that accumulates in the muscles feels terrible, which is exactly what Schifflin experiences at the bottom of a long World Cup match. By adapting to the discomfort, she can keep her head calm and keep adjusting until the last turn. “There is a spiritual side to overcoming it, just as it makes you uncomfortable in life,” says Schifflin.
Fatigue is the key to the method, but it has its drawbacks. “When people get tired, the dynamics collapse,” says Nicole Haas, a physiotherapist and founder of Boulder Physiolab, Colorado. Sloppy shapes can strengthen bad habits instead of strengthening the connection between the brain and body, which is an important part of performance. “I’m worried that I’m injured just because I’m tired,” she says.
Haas also states that while studies have shown that BFR can lead to significant improvements in muscle size and VO2 max, it is not clear whether these changes will lead to actual performance improvements. I am. In a 2015 study of the effectiveness of supplemental BFR training in experienced cyclists, participants increased VO2 max by an average of 4.5%. Still, the performance of the 15-kilometer time trial did not improve. “There are so many variables when working on sports and performance that it’s a difficult part to measure,” says Haas. In addition, most clinical studies considering BFR training last for a relatively short period of time, so much is not known about the long-term effects. Is there a strong reaction at the beginning of the training and can it be stagnant thereafter? And since there is so much fatigue, is there a risk of overtraining? Second, there is little consensus on how to optimally implement BFR training.
The scientific literature is limited and bad ideas can only be ruled out by trial and error of different techniques in different sports involving athletes of all kinds. For now, “this is a great tool in the toolbox,” says Lackie. But that’s just one tool. He and Haas quickly emphasize that they see BFR as a supplement rather than an alternative to other training methods.
It’s not a shortcut to performance. You still need to work. However, with BFR, you can safely add volume to your workout and recover faster, allowing you to participate in more training in a particular week. “At the end of the day, as long as you recover from it, the more training you do, the better your performance will be,” says Stray Gandersen.
Did Schifflin feel like a lead when she first tried BFR? She woke up from an afternoon nap and was able to push hard again in the evening training. “Not only did each session become more effective, but I recovered really well. Probably better than before,” she says.
safety first
Important Precautions for Adopting Blood Flow Resistance Training
The type of cuff used during unsupervised BFR training is important, says physiologist Jim Stray-Gundersen. He recommends one that is inflatable (to allow control of pressure) and elastic (to accommodate changes in muscle size during exercise). While wearing it, make sure that just some amount of blood is flowing into the limbs. BFR is an accepted protocol unless you are suffering from sickle cell disease or lymphedema, are pregnant, have a new wound or fever, or are in pain due to healing damage. Safe for those who follow. The following resources will help you get started.
B Powerful training system: These kits come with an inflatable arm and leg band, a hand pump, and an app with video instructions and tutorials. From $ 289
Certified as a pressure specialist program: Kaatsu.org’s online service that teaches coaches, therapists and athletes how to properly manage BFR. $ 250
“Basics of blood flow restriction training”: Camp 4’s short online course is specially designed for rock climbers by strength and conditioning coach Tyler Nelson. $ 60
“Practice of Blood Flow Restriction: Methodology, Applications, and Safety Considerations”: This research paper published in the journal Physiology frontierRecommends a set of guidelines on BFR tolerance, provides aerobic and preventive training, and provides notes on how to deal with safety. frontiersin.org
