Is garment-integrated blood flow restriction training feasible and safe? A study in healthy adults

Title : Is garment-integrated blood flow restriction training feasible and safe? A study in healthy adults

Abstract:

Background: Blood Flow Restriction training (BFR) has been demonstrated to increase muscle hypertrophy and strength, but has logistical and cost barriers. Garment-integrated BFR has the potential to reduce these barriers by lowering equipment demands and cost. The primary aim of the study was to explore the feasibility of garment-integrated BFR in the upper limb of healthy adults, with a secondary aim of exploring safety and efficacy.

Methods: Physically active and otherwise healthy participants with no previous experience of BFR were recruited. Eligible participants completed a five-week garment-integrated BFR programme, comprising two sessions per week. Feasibility was determined against a priori defined thresholds for recruitment, adherence, and data collection. Safety was assessed by recording adverse events and monitoring total arterial occlusion pressure via fingertip pulse oximetry. Efficacy was explored by measuring push-ups to volitional failure, arm girth, and number of prescribed repetitions completed.

Results: Twenty-eight participants (15 men, 13 women; mean age 31.6 years [SD 9.1]) were recruited within three months, and 27 completed the study. Adherence was 99.3% (278/280 sessions; 95% CI 97.4–99.9%). Adverse events were minimal: one case of localised bruising (0.36%) and three instances of exercise-related pain in two participants (1.07%). Push-ups to volitional failure increased by 40% (mean change 8.0, 95% CI 6.0–10.0, Cohen's d=1.40), while arm girth showed negligible change. Total repetitions completed also increased over the programme.

Conclusion: Garment-integrated BFR is feasible, well-adhered to, and shows no signal of important harm in the upper limb of healthy adults, with early evidence of efficacy for muscular endurance. This low-cost, equipment-light approach may broaden access to BFR training in clinical and community settings; further controlled trials are warranted to confirm efficacy.

Biography:

Bhavit Dhokia is a Core Surgical Trainee in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery in England. He trained at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, completing an intercalated BSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine at Queen Mary University of London. His research interests centre on exercise-based rehabilitation, including the feasibility and safety of garment-integrated blood flow restriction training, the subject of his recent publication in Pilot and Feasibility Studies. Alongside clinical training, he is undertaking a postgraduate certificate in medical education and regularly contributes to orthopaedic teaching for junior doctors, reflecting his combined interest in surgical practice and education.