Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Exercise on Post-Activation Potentiation in Resistance Trained Men and Women

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is commonly employed to enhance the force-generating capacity of skeletal muscles. However, no studies have directly compared the PAP response elicited by blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise versus traditional bilateral training (TT). This distinction is critical, as differences in muscle activation are observed when comparing various exercise modalities. PURPOSE: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether a BFR squat exercise would elicit a different PAP response compared to a traditional bilateral squat exercise. METHODS: A within-subjects repeated measures design was used to assess the acute effects of two distinct PAP protocols (traditional squat versus BFR squat) on lower-body muscle function. Five recreationally strength-trained participants (males and females), aged 22.8 ± 2.9 years, with a height of 1.68 ± 0.1 m, weight of 79.4 ± 19.4 kg, and BMI of 27.6 ± 3.6, with no known cardiovascular risk factors, were included in the study. Their one-repetition maximum (1-RM) for the squat was 135.7 ± 43.9 kg, and their relative strength was 1.69 ± 0.2 kg/kg body weight, meeting the inclusion criteria for relative strength at the onset of the study. After a familiarization period and baseline strength testing, all subjects completed three trials: BFR squat, traditional squat, and a control condition (CON). Each trial consisted of a conditioning activity (80% of 1-RM) followed by a maximal voluntary isometric leg extension contraction at 60° knee extension, performed 7 and 12 minutes post-conditioning activity. RESULTS: Due to the limited sample size (n = 5), neither conditioning activity (BFR squat or traditional squat) produced a statistically significant difference in peak or average torque and EMG values compared to the control condition. However, there was a trend towards higher peak and average torque values in both experimental conditions compared to the control, indicating a potential non-significant potentiation effect in this small sample size. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that near-maximal exercise protocols may induce a non-significant potentiation response, warranting further investigation with a larger cohort to substantiate these trends.