Heavy-load resistance exercises are required for muscle strengthening and atrophy prevention, however concern has been expressed over their safety after knee surgery. Light-load resistance training, combined with either venous or arterial blood flow restriction, has been reported as an effective alternative for increasing muscle size and strength. Proposed mechanisms for the muscle hypertrophy and strength gains observed with ischemic training are presented and contemporary methodological issues are discussed. Possibilities and limitations of clinical implementation are also summarised.
B.04 Guest lecture
The general objective of the proposed project was to develop and evaluate new physiotherapeutic means based on reduced oxygen delivery to the exercising muscle for enhancing muscle conditioning and hypertrophy and hence treating inactivity-induced muscle atrophy. The concomitant aim is to investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms of muscle adaptation to training with reduced oxygen availability.
F.21 Development of new health/diagnostic methods/procedures
In this report it is demonstrated by use of non-invasive real-time oxygen kinetics monitor and surface EMG that ischemic training augments endurance capacity of m. quadriceps up to 50%, which can be attributed mainly to enhanced muscle blood supply and oxygen availability. The small increase in muscle cross-sectional area observed with training may therefore be an evidence of ischemia-induced capilarisation and increased muscle glycogen stores. This is an original scientific finding, which deepens our understanding of muscle adaptation to intermittent ischemic exposures during exercise.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
The reduction in muscle mass and performance observed after injury or surgery is mainly a consequence of substantially reduced mechanical loading of the injured limb. Physiological mechanisms underlying development of muscle atrophy and hypertrophy are presented and their relevance for planning optimal physiotherapy is stressed. The parameters of resistant training and electrical stimulation for treating muscle atrophies are presented and discussed in detail. In addition, the proposed mechanisms and possible benefits of ischemic training for treating muscle atrophies are summarised.
B.04 Guest lecture