Muscular stress is equal when resistance exercise with blood flow restriction is matched in total work volume: A cross‐sectional, cross‐over study

Abstract Aim We compared muscular metabolic stress during exercise performed at multiple intensities, from very low to moderate, with blood flow restriction (BFR) adjusted by the same work volume. Methods Twenty‐five healthy young adults performed unilateral plantar flexion at 1 repetition/2 s in a magnetic resonance system. The BFR exercise protocols were as follows: (A) exercise with 10% of one repetition maximum (1‐RM) for 360 s, (B) 15% 1‐RM for 240 s, (C) 20% 1‐RM for 180 s, (D) 30% 1‐RM for 120 s, and (E) 40% 1‐RM for 90 s. All protocols had the same total work volume (load × repetitions = 1800). A high‐intensity protocol at 65% 1‐RM without BFR (60 s) was also performed for comparison. We used 31 P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy to evaluate the muscular metabolic stress in the subjects' calf muscle, defined as decreases in phosphocreatine and intramuscular pH. Results The phosphocreatine depletion (A: 15.6 ± 0.7, B: 14.8 ± 0.8, C: 15.2 ± 0.6, D: 14.3 ± 0.6, E: 10.9 ± 0.5 mM; no significant difference [ns]) and the intramuscular pH decrease (A: 6.82 ± 0.02, B: 6.84 ± 0.01, C: 6.83 ± 0.02, D: 6.83 ± 0.02, E: 6.77 ± 0.02; ns) at the end of each exercise were similar and greater than those produced by the 65% 1‐RM without BFR. Conclusion If the total work volumes are equal, the metabolic stress in exercising muscle may reach similar levels at the end of exercise with BFR and could provide similar successful training effects.