The Benefits of Blood Flow Limitation Numerous clients in our physical therapy clinic are not able to lift heavy weights in some cases since of discomfort, immobilization, or due to the fact that of surgical treatment. Blood Circulation Limitation (BFR) Training can be an excellent rehab tool because it allows patients to profit of an intense heavy weight-lifting session while just requiring the patient to carry out low-to moderate-intensity training.
During BFR training, a patient or professional athlete performs high repeatings of a specific exercise while using a band or cuff around their upper arm or upper leg with usage of light resistance. The following are physical changes that can occur secondary to Blood Circulation Constraint Training: Improved muscular strength Increased muscular cross sectional area Prevention of muscular atrophy Development of newer and much healthier capillary Decreased threat of heart disease Improved bone mineral density BFR Causes Muscles to Work Harder With flexible BFR training, BFR bands are placed near one's arms and/or upper legs.
Elastic BFR bands partially restrict the venous blood (oxygen lacking blood flowing from the limbs back to the heart) return. This makes the muscles work even harder to pump the blood back to the heart! BFR exercises include periods of exercise and rest. Throughout the durations of workout, blood is rapidly flowed from our heart, to our arteries, to our limbs, to our veins and back to the heart.
The muscles in the limb have to work even more difficult to pump the venous blood past the BFR bands back to the heart. At the regional cellular level, this dam effect produces a disruption of homeostasis lower oxygen levels in the muscle cells, acidic muscle cells, and other changes that make the muscles fatigue quickly, similar to they would with heavy weights.
How the Brain Reacts to Changing Oxygen Levels Comparable to heavy weight lifting, BFR Training enables your body to experience periods of fast flow of blood where oxygen is streaming throughout your entire circulatory system. The lack of oxygen in our limbs is notable to our body, and our main nerve system sends out the message to our brain that our limbs "aren't getting adequate oxygen." It is very important to understand that the decreased oxygen levels that our body experiences is short-term, safe and vital for BFR to work.