Acute neuromuscular and postural control responses to balance exercise with blood flow restriction in sedentary adults: a randomized controlled trial

Sedentary behavior may negatively affect sensorimotor function and postural control. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training provides a low-load exercise strategy that may influence these responses. This study investigated the acute effects of balance exercises combined with BFR on postural control, proprioception, functional performance, and perceived exertion in healthy sedentary young adults. This three-arm randomized controlled trial conducted at Biruni University, Istanbul, Türkiye, between November 2025 and February 2026 included 74 healthy adults (18–35 years) randomly assigned to control, sham BFR, or BFR groups. Outcomes were assessed immediately before and after a single exercise session. Static postural control (PerformaNZ, Türkiye) and dynamic postural control (Y Balance Test) were primary outcomes; proprioception (joint position sense), functional performance (Single Leg Hop Test), and perceived exertion (Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale) were secondary outcomes. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups ( p > 0.05). Significant main effects of time were observed for static postural control in the dominant ( p = 0.002), non-dominant ( p = 0.001), and bilateral conditions ( p = 0.001). Y-Balance Test composite scores also improved over time for both the dominant and non-dominant limbs (both p < 0.001). Significant time effects were also observed for dominant knee flexion and non-dominant ankle plantarflexion proprioception ( p = 0.004 and p = 0.037, respectively). Single-leg hop performance improved over time in both the dominant and non-dominant limbs ( p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively), while perceived exertion increased following exercise ( p < 0.001). No significant group × time interactions were observed for any outcome ( p > 0.05). Adding BFR to a single balance exercise session did not provide additional acute benefits for postural control, proprioception, functional performance, or perceived exertion in healthy sedentary young adults. Further studies should investigate the effects of repeated BFR-supported balance training.