ARE THERE DIFFERENCES IN THE ACTIVATION OF THE AGONIST AND ANTAGONIST MUSCLES DURING STRENGTH TRAINING SESSIONS WITH CONTINUOUS OR INTERMITTENT BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION?

Abstract

Resistance training (RT) with blood flow restriction (BFR) has been used to increase muscle strength and hypertrophy, however, the best strategy to perform BFR (continuous or intermittent) has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to analyze the chronic effect of RT with continuous or intermittent blood flow restriction (CBFR or IBFR) on muscle activation. A total of 24 men with RT experience were randomly divided into three experimental groups: low-load exercises at 20% of one repetition maximum (1RM) combined with CBFR (LL + CBFR), low-load exercises at 20% of 1RM combined with IBFR (LL + IBFR), or low-load exercises at 20% of 1RM without BFR (LL). Twelve RT sessions were performed for 6 weeks, twice a week. A comparative analysis of the activation of the biceps and triceps brachial muscles after the bench press, triceps pulley, and biceps pulley exercises did not reveal group × evaluations × sets, group × evaluations, group × sets, or evaluations × sets interactions with regard to group, evaluation, or sets (p > 0.05). However, the evaluations showed a significant increase in the LI+IBFR group after the 1st, 2nd, and 4th sets (p < 0.05) only with regard to biceps muscle activation. It was concluded that the muscle activations of the biceps and triceps are similar with regard to the bench press, triceps pulley, and biceps pulley exercises when CBFR is compared with IBFR; however, IBFR improved the muscle activation of the biceps brachial only with regard to the front pull down exercise.