Trial reportExperimental gerontology2017
Blood flow restricted resistance training in older adults at risk of mobility limitations.
Trial report in Experimental gerontology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 71 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Feasibility and Effects of Low-load Blood-flow Restricted Exercise Following Spinal Cord Injury
Effects on Muscle Strength After Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise (BFR-RE) in Early In-patient Rehabilitation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Acute Exacerbation (COPDAE), a Single Blinded, Randomized Controlled Study
Who cites it
71 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 178 citations in OpenAlex.
- Quantitative assessment of efficacy and evaluation of feasibility of exercise training protocols in adult and pediatric primary mitochondrial disease.BMC medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Effect of different blood flow restriction training regimens combined with low-intensity training on muscle strength and cardiovascular safety in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Resistance Training Volume on Physical Function, Lean Body Mass and Lower-Body Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of 151 Randomised Trials.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Pooled it
- Comparing adaptations from blood flow restriction exercise training using regulated or unregulated pressure systems: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitation · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of Blood Flow Restriction on Gait and Mobility in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Pooled it
- Potential Moderators of the Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy: A Meta-analysis Based on a Comparison with High-Load Resistance Training.Sports medicine - open · 2024Pooled it
- The Effect of Low Intensity Resistance Training with Blood Flow Restriction on Fall Resistance in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Combined with Low-Intensity Resistance Training on Lower-Limb Muscle Strength and Mass in Post-Middle-Aged Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Is There a Minimum Effective Dose for Vascular Occlusion During Blood Flow Restriction Training?Frontiers in physiology · 2022Pooled it
- Resistance Training with Blood Flow Restriction Compared to Traditional Resistance Training on Strength and Muscle Mass in Non-Active Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effect of blood-flow restriction exercise on falls and fall related risk factors in older adults 60 years or above: a systematic review.Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions · 2020Pooled it
- Does Blood Flow Restriction Therapy in Patients Older Than Age 50 Result in Muscle Hypertrophy, Increased Strength, or Greater Physical Function? A Systematic Review.Clinical orthopaedics and related research · 2020Pooled it
- Chronic Blood Flow Restriction Exercise Improves Objective Physical Function: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in physiology · 2019Pooled it
- Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy in Older Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2019Pooled it
- Trial
- The effects of short-term blood flow restriction training on knee function and quality of life in older adults patients with tibial plateau fractures.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Effect of low-intensity resistance training at different levels of blood flow restriction on pain, proprioception and muscle strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Trial
- Effectiveness of short-term cycling interventions in older adults: a randomized trial of hypoxic, blood flow restriction, and eccentric cycling.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Occlusion pressure and blood pressure adaptations following low-load blood flow restriction training versus moderate-load training: a pilot randomized clinical trial in patients with knee osteoarthritis.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Trial
11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
High-load resistance training (HL) may be contraindicated in older adults due to pre-existing health conditions (e.g. osteoarthritis). Low-load blood flow restricted (BFR) resistance training offers an alternative to HL with potentially similar strength improvement. PURPOSE: To compare muscle strength, cross-sectional area (CSA), physical function, and quality of life (QOL) following 12-weeks of HL or BFR training in older adults at risk of mobility limitations.
methodsThirty-six males and females (mean: 75.6years 95% confidence interval: [73.4-78.5], 1.67m [1.64-1.70], 74.3kg [69.8-78.8]) were randomly assigned to HL (70% of one repetition maximum [1-RM]) or low-load BFR (30% 1-RM coupled with a vascular restriction) exercise for the knee extensors and flexors twice per week for 12weeks. A control (CON) group performed light upper body resistance and flexibility training. Muscle strength, CSA of the quadriceps, 400-m walking speed, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and QOL were assessed before, midway and after training.
resultsWithin 6-weeks of HL training, increases in all strength measures and CSA were evident and the gains were significantly greater than the CON group (P<0.05). The BFR group had strength increases in leg extension and leg press 1-RM tests, but were significantly lower in leg extension isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and leg extension 1-RM than the HL group (P<0.01). At 12-weeks HL and BFR training did not differ in MVC (P=0.14). Walking speed increased 4% among all training groups (P<0.01) and no changes were observed for overall SPPB score and QOL (P>0.05).
conclusionBoth training programs resulted in muscle CSA improvements and HL training had more pronounced strength gains than BFR training after 6-weeks and were more similar to BFR after 12-weeks of training. These changes in both groups did not transfer to improvements in QOL, SPPB, and walking speed. Since both programs result in strength and CSA gains, albeit at different rates, future research should consider using a combination of HL and BFR training in older adults with profound muscle weakness and mobility limitations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.