ReviewSports health
Acute Effect of Resistance Training With Blood Flow Restriction on Perceptual Responses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 4 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of blood flow restriction exercise interventions on patellofemoral pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Does Protocol Matter for Repetition Volume? A Meta-Analytic Investigation of Volitional Failure Versus the Traditionally Used 75-Repetition Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Training.Sports medicine - open · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of low-load blood flow restriction training on knee osteoarthritis pain and muscle strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in physiology · 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
- The acute respiratory response to blood-flow restriction resistance exercise in healthy adults: A randomized crossover trial.Physiological reports · 2026Trial
- Arterio-venous metabolite and electrolyte responses to low-load training with and without blood flow restriction versus high-load training to failure.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Trial
- The effect of low-intensity suspension training with blood flow restriction on GH, IGF-1, and their association with physical fitness in young women.Physiological reports · 2024Trial
- Comparison of finger flexor resistance training, with and without blood flow restriction, on perceptional and physiological responses in advanced climbers.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Acute Autonomic and Perceptual Responses to Resistance Training Performed With and Without Blood Flow Restriction.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Influence of blood flow restriction cuff width on acute metabolic, perceptual, and landing responses to low-load resistance exercise in trained long jump athletes.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Article
- Perceptual and Metabolic Responses During Resistance Training Sessions: Comparing Low-Load Plus Blood Flow Restriction with High-Load Plans.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effectiveness and Feasibility of Blood Flow Restriction Training for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review.Neurology international · 2024Review
- Minimum velocity threshold in response to the free-weight back squat: reliability and validity of different submaximal loading schemes.European journal of applied physiology · 2024Article
- The Discrepancy Between External and Internal Load/Intensity during Blood Flow Restriction Exercise: Understanding Blood Flow Restriction Pressure as Modulating Factor.Sports medicine - open · 2024Article
- Cardiovascular, perceptual, and performance responses to single- vs. multi-chambered blood flow restriction cuffs.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Article
- Autoregulated and Non-Autoregulated Blood Flow Restriction on Acute Arterial Stiffness.International journal of sports medicine · 2024Article
- No Differences in Exercise Performance, Perceptual Response, or Safety Were Observed Among 3 Blood Flow Restriction Devices.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2023Article
- Blood flow restriction as a potential therapy to restore physical function following COVID-19 infection.Frontiers in physiology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextSeveral studies have compared perceptual responses between resistance exercise with blood flow restriction and traditional resistance exercise (non-BFR). However, the results were contradictory.
objectivesTo analyze the effect of RE+BFR versus non-BFR resistance exercise [low-load resistance exercise (LL-RE) or high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE)] on perceptual responses. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PubMed STUDY SELECTION: Studies comparing the effect of RE+BFR versus non-BFR resistance exercise on rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle pain/discomfort were considered. Meta-analyses were conducted using the random effects model. STUDY
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2. DATA EXTRACTION: All data were reviewed and extracted independently by 2 reviewers. Disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer.
resultsThirty studies were included in this review. In a fixed repetition scheme, the RPE [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.04;
conclusionIn sets to voluntary failure, RPE is similar between RE+BFR and non-BFR exercise. In fixed repetition schemes, RE+BFR seems to promote higher RPE than non-BFR LL-RE and less than HL-RE. In sets to failure, discomfort appears to be similar between LL-RE with and without BFR; however, RE+BFR appears to promote greater discomfort than HL-RE. In fixed repetition schemes, the discomfort appears to be no different between RE+BFR and HL-RE, but is lower in non-BFR LL-RE.
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.