Abstract:
Background
Strategies that impede blood flow could potentiate the effects of a warm-up due to their effects on the endothelial and metabolic functions. This study investigated whether performing a warm-up combined with blood-flow restriction (WFR) induces ergogenic changes in blood volume, muscle oxygenation, and RSA.
Methods
In a pair-matched, single-blind, pre-post parallel group design, 15 American football players completed an RSA test (12 × 20 m, 20 s rest), preceded by WFR or a regular warm-up (SHAM). Pressure was applied on the athletes’ upper thighs for ≈15 min using elastic bands. Both legs were wrapped at a perceived pressure of 7 and 3 out of 10 in WFR and SHAM, respectively. Changes in gastrocnemius muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2) and total hemoglobin concentration ([THb]) were monitored with near-infrared spectroscopy. Cohen’s effect sizes (ES) were used to estimate the impact of WFR.
Conclusions
The present study suggests that performing ≈15 min of warm-up with blood-flow restriction at a moderate perceived pressure of 7 out of 10 may increase local blood volume ([THb]MAX) and muscle O2 saturation (SmO2MIN/MAX) in highly trained American football players during some parts of a subsequent RSA test. Although this innovative WFR approach did not clearly impact the performance of 12 sprints or less, the altered physiological responses could prove beneficial to American football players and other team-sport athletes in longer activities involving multiple bouts of maximal efforts.
Keywords
warm-up; blood-flow restriction; pre-conditioning; repeated-sprint ability; team sports; muscle oxygenation
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https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7050121
