Our new blood flow restriction (BFR) study:
Does BFR also work without exercise?
Blood flow restriction (BFR) has been shown to increase the muscle growth response to low-load resistance exercise (1). In fact, BFR training results in similar muscle growth as regular (heavy load) resistance training (2).
Therefore, BFR training may be useful during injury. It allows a strong muscle training stimulus without high-loads on the joints. However, even BFR training may not always be feasible. For example, when a broken leg is in a cast.
A recent animal study suggests that BFR without exercise can also stimulate muscle growth (3). But is this also true in humans?
The current study investigated 1) whether BFR increases the muscle protein synthesis (MPS; the process driving muscle growth) response to low-load exercise 2) whether BFR without exercise stimulates MPS.
As expected, BFR increased the MPS response to exercise. However, BFR did not increase MPS when it was applied at rest.
These results suggest that metabolic stress is not an independent stimulus of muscle growth, but that it augments mechanical tension during exercise.
In conclusion, blood flow restriction only stimulates muscle protein synthesis when combined with exercise.
Our open-access study:
Nyakayiru et al. Blood flow restriction only increases myofibrillar protein synthesis with exercise. MSSE, 2019
Go to the next infographic in the resistance training series:
Full range of motion increases muscle growth?
Right, even though BFR without exercise works in animals, it doesn’t work in humans, because humans aren’t animals. Got it!
Actually, the pump helps grow muscle, no matter how the pump is achieved. I work out only for the pump, the same as many successful bodybuilders, and it stimulates near immediate muscle growth and improves vascularity, unlike other methods.
I’ve done BFR with and without exercise, and it works either way. I do work out, but I never work out without using BFR, and I sometimes use BFR without exercise. The pump is the key, and I’ll do whatever it takes to maximize it.
Your conclusion is illogical, and proven wrong by experience.
Hey Ron,
Just because a recent rat study showed an increase in muscle growth with BFR without exercise, does not mean it has been conclusive shown that it works in rats. One study is just one study, a finding needs to be replicated, ideally by different researchers, and under different conditions, before a real conclusion can be drawn.
Even if that observation was replicated consistently in rats, that does not mean it translate to humans. There are tons of things that don’t translate from rats to humans. Using your logic: fish can live under water. Fish are animals. Humans are animals. Therefore, humans can breath under water…..?
If you believe your experience has more value than science, I don’t think it has much use for use to continue to discus this topic as we’ll never agree.
Trust me, I wish I was the first one to show human evidence that BFR without exercise stimulates muscle growth. I would be rich by now.
Just wanted to say thanks, as an undergrad student these articles are really helping me to better understand some of the mechanisms given to us and has gotten me thinking about things in a different way as well.
Great to hear Shaun! When I was in undergraduate, I was always tempted to read stuff online more than my actual course material, so happy to see they build upon each other well for you.