Muscle Activation With Acute Bouts of Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Exercise
Condition: Muscle; Acute Exercise
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Blood flow restricted (BFR) resistance exercise has been shown to improve skeletal muscle
      adaptations to low load resistance exercise. One of many adaptations with resistance training
      is neural adaptations that occur within the first few weeks of resistance training. It has
      been hypothesized that these neural adaptations are blunted when using blood flow restricted
      exercise. Therefore, the investigators propose to examine the muscle activation created by
      resistance exercise with different intensities with blood flow restriction and without blood
      flow restriction in sedentary compared to resistance-trained individuals. The investigators
      will recruit and completely study up to 30, previously untrained and resistance-trained,
      healthy, college-aged (18-40 years) males. Participants will come in the laboratory for 5
      total visits. These visits will consist of a screening/familiarization visit, a strength
      testing visit, and 3 acute exercise visits. The acute exercise visits will consist of 2 blood
      flow restricted resistance sessions at different intensities and a traditional high load
      resistance exercise session. The 3 acute exercise visits will be randomized. The
      investigators will measure muscle mass (appendicular lean mass) using Dual Energy X-Ray
      Absorptiometry, muscle strength and endurance using isotonic and isokinetic testing, and
      muscle activation using surface electromyography. The investigators will also use near
      infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure the muscle tissue (oxygen) saturation index (TSI) in
      the vastus lateralis during exercise. Finally, the investigators will also draw blood before
      and after each exercise session to measure hormones, metabolites, and markers of inflammation
      using commercially available assays (e.g., ELISAs).
    


Intervention name(s): Traditional High Load Resistance Exercise (HLRE); Low Load Resistance Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction (LLBFR); Moderate Load Resistance Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction (MLBFR)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will then perform 75% of tested 1RM for 3 sets of 12 repetitions at a pace of 1 repetition every 2 seconds on the dominant leg with one-minute rest between sets. After completing the HLRE protocol, participants will perform 2 post-exercise maximal voluntary contractions.; Participants will then perform 25% of tested 1RM for sets of 30, 15, 15, and 15 repetitions on the dominant leg at a pace of 1 repetition every 2 seconds with one-minute rest between sets. Participants will be fitted with an occlusion cuff on the proximal portion of the thigh. The limb occlusion pressure will be set at 60% blood flow occlusion and remain occluded throughout the exercise (Delfi Medical Innovations Personal Tourniquet System).; Participants will then perform 50% of tested 1RM for sets of 15, 8, 7, and 7 repetitions on the dominant leg at a pace of 1 repetition every 2 seconds with one-minute rest between sets. Participants will be fitted with an occlusion cuff on the proximal portion of the thigh. The limb occlusion pressure will be set at 60% blood flow occlusion and remain occluded throughout the exercise (Delfi Medical Innovations Personal Tourniquet System).
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Basic Science