Dema Abu Zraineh
Research Mentor: Rachel Cook
Mentor Department: Movement Science, Kinesiology
Author(s): Dema Abu Zraineh , Rachel Logue Cook, Lauren Opielinski, Frank Doyle , Sarah Lessila, Sandra Hunter
Session: Session 7 (4:00 PM – 4:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 95
Abstract
Introduction: Blood flow restriction (BFR) training has emerged as a promising method for improving muscle performance using low-weight loads. While previous studies have shown limited effects of BFR training in healthy aging populations, it has been suggested that BFR may provide benefits in clinical populations with underlying neuromuscular and metabolic dysfunction, such as individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who commonly experience increased muscle fatigue. With T2D, muscle fatigue arises from diminished muscle metabolism, reduced oxidative capacity, altered motor unit activation, and impaired blood flow, reducing muscular force and endurance. One approach to evaluate the impacts of BFR is a within-participant, single-leg design, where one leg is trained under BFR conditions, and the contralateral leg serves as the control. Outcomes such as strength, power, and fatigability are then compared between the legs. Purpose: Since it isn’t known if leg dominance influences the single-leg BFR paradigm, the purpose of this study was to examine whether improvements in muscle fatiguability through BFR training differ between the dominant and non-dominant leg. Methods: Twelve participants (9 males, 3 females; mean age 64.1 years, range 41–82; 7 with T2D and 5 with prediabetes) completed an eight-week resistance training program consisting of one-hour sessions three times per week. One leg was randomly assigned to train under BFR conditions while the opposite leg served as a non-BFR control. Muscle fatigability was assessed before and after the eight weeks of training using a fatigue task lasting four minutes, during which participants performed repeated knee extensions every three seconds for a total of 80 contractions at 20% of their maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Outcome measures included baseline strength (pre-fatigue MVC), strength retention after the fatigue task (post-fatigue MVC expressed as a percentage of baseline), and the ability to maintain power across repetitions (average power relative to the first repetition). Results: Improvements in fatigue resistance were observed in both groups. However, participants whose non-dominant leg received BFR training demonstrated greater improvements in power (22.5% ± 15.4%) compared to those whose dominant leg received BFR training (18.0% ± 14.2%). Conclusion: Although variability was present within both groups, the results suggest that the non-dominant leg, which was on average weaker at the start of training, may have a greater capacity for strength and fatigue improvements in response to BFR training. Future research could explore how targeted BFR interventions may optimize training adaptations in populations with T2D.
