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Effects of resistance training combined with vascular occlusion or hypoxia on neuromuscular function in athletes

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Abstract

The aim was to investigate the effects of low-load resistant training combined with vascular occlusion or normobaric hypoxic exposure, on neuromuscular function. In a randomised controlled trial, well-trained athletes took part in a 5-week training of knee flexor/extensor muscles in which low-load resistant exercise (20 % of one repetition maximum, 1-RM) was combined with either (1) an occlusion pressure of approximately 230 mmHg (KT, n = 10), (2) hypoxic air to generate an arterial blood oxygen saturation of ~80 % (HT, n = 10), or (3) with no additional stimulus (CT, n = 10). Before and after training, participants completed the following tests: 3-s maximal voluntary contraction (MVC3), 30-s MVC, and an endurance test (maximal number of repetitions at 20 % 1-RM, Reps20). Electromyographic activity (root mean square, RMS) was measured during tests and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadriceps and hamstrings was measured pre- and post-training. Relative to CT, KT, and HT showed likely increases in MVC3 (11.0 ± 11.9 and 15.0 ± 13.1 %, mean ± 90 % confidence interval), MVC30 (10.2 ± 9.0 and 18.3 ± 17.4 %), and Reps20 (28.9 ± 23.7 and 23.3 ± 24.0 %). Compared to the CT group, CSA increased in the KT (7.6 ± 5.8) and HT groups (5.3 ± 3.0). KT had a large effect on RMS during MVC3, compared to CT (effect size 0.8) and HT (effect size 0.8). We suspect hypoxic conditions created within the muscles during vascular occlusion and hypoxic training may play a key role in these performance enhancements.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the volunteers involved in this study. This research was supported by the Research in KAATSU Methodology from the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation. The authors thank Andrew Chapman from Airo® for the use of the hypoxicator system. We also thank all the MRI technicians at Canterbury Medical Imaging, Christchurch, for their professional help. The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement of the hypoxicator or KAATSU machines by the authors.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

All participants gave their written informed consent to participate in the study which was approved by the Lincoln University Human Ethics Committee and conforms to the current laws for such research conducted in New Zealand.

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Correspondence to Michael J. Hamlin.

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Communicated by Guido Ferretti.

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Manimmanakorn, A., Manimmanakorn, N., Taylor, R. et al. Effects of resistance training combined with vascular occlusion or hypoxia on neuromuscular function in athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 1767–1774 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2605-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2605-z

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