Limb occlusion pressure for blood flow restricted exercise: Variability and relations with participant characteristics

Abstract

Objective

Assess lower-extremity blood flow restricted exercise (BFR) limb occlusion pressure (LOP) variability and identify related intrinsic characteristics using a portable Delphi BFR system.

Design

Repeated measures.

Setting

Laboratory.

Participants

Forty-two healthy males (n = 25) and females (n = 17) (25.8 ± 5.2 y, 1.76 ±0 .09 m, 78.9 ± 14.9 kg) completed two visits. Brachial artery blood pressure, thigh circumferences (TC), and LOP were measured supine.

Main outcome measures

Linear mixed-effects models (LMM) and generalizability theory were used to evaluate LOP between legs and days, determine intrinsic characteristic relations, and assess random variance components.

Results

LOP was not different between legs (p = .730) or days (p = .916; grand mean = 183.7 mmHg [178.4, 189.1]). LOP varied significantly between participants (p = .011, standard error = 47.3 mmHg). 47% of LOP variance was between participants, 18% and 6% was within participants between days and legs, respectively, and 28% was associated with random error. The relative error variance was 14.4 mmHg. Pulse pressure (PP) (p = .005) and TC (p = .040) were positively associated with LOP. A LMM including PP and TC predicted LOP with a mean absolute difference of 11.1 mmHg [9.7, 12.6] compared to measured LOP.

Conclusions

The relative error variance suggests that clinicians should measure LOP consistently for each patient to ensure BFR safety and effectiveness.