Aerobic-interval exercise with blood flow restriction potentiates early markers of metabolic health in man

Aim: This study examined whether aerobic-interval exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) potentiates early markers of metabolic health compared to exercise with systemic hypoxia or normoxia in man. Methods: In a randomized-crossover fashion, eight healthy men completed nine 2-minute running bouts at 105% of their lactate threshold on three occasions separated by one week, either with BFR (BFR-trial), systemic hypoxia (HYP-trial) or normoxia (control; CON-trial). Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to assess the muscle level of hypoxia. A muscle biopsy was collected at rest and 3 hours after exercise to quantify genes involved in cholesterol synthesis (PGC-1 alpha 2), glucose disposal (GLUT4) and capillary growth (HIF-1 alpha; VEGFA), as well as mitochondrial respiration (PGC-1 alpha 2/3), uncoupling (UCP3) and expansion (p53; COXIV-1/2; CS; AMPK alpha 1/2). Results: The muscle level of hypoxia was matched between the BFR-trial and HYP-trial (similar to 90%; P > .05), which was greater than the CON-trial (similar to 70%; P < .05). PGC-1 alpha 2 increased most in the BFR-trial (16-fold vs CON-trial; 11-fold vs HYP-trial; P < .05). GLUT4 and VEGFA selectively increased by 2.0 and 3.4-fold, respectively in BFR-trial (P < .05), which was greater than CON-trial (1.2 and 1.3 fold) and HYP-trial (1.2 and 1.8 fold; P < .05). UCP3 increased more in BFR-trial than the HYP-trial (4.3 vs 1.6 fold), but was not different between BFR-trial and CON-trial (2.1 fold) or between CON-trial and HYP-trial (P > .05). No trial differences were evident for other genes (P > .05). Conclusion: Independent of the muscle level of hypoxia, BFR-exercise potentiates early markers of metabolic health associated with the regulation of cholesterol production and glucose homeostasis in man.

Automated summary

This study found that independent of muscle hypoxia level, BFR exercise enhances early markers of metabolic health associated with cholesterol synthesis regulation and glucose homeostasis.