Publications

This study examined the acute effects of high-load resistance training and low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction on sprint ability, pennation angle and lower limb muscle stiffness.

A randomized crossover trial was conducted in 17 collegiate male sprinters. Four intervention conditions were applied: high-load (90% 1RM hip thrust [HT] or half-squat [HS]) and low-load (30% 1RM HT or HS with blood flow restriction [BFR]) protocols. Muscle–tendon stiffness, pennation angle, and 20-m sprint performance were assessed at 5 minutes post-intervention.

The results showed that statistically significant differences were observed among interventions (p < 0.05). Regarding sprint performance, the 30% HT + BFR significantly improved 0-20m sprint time, whereas the 30% HS + BFR significantly improved 10-20m sprint time compared to high-load conditions. In terms of muscle architecture, both 30% HS + BFR and 90% HS conditions elicited a significant decrease in the pennation angle of the rectus femoris. Moreover, muscle-tendon stiffness generally increased following conditioning activities; notably, the 30% HT + BFR condition increased rectus femoris stiffness, while the 30% HS + BFR condition significantly increased stiffness in the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon compared to other interventions or baseline.

In conclusion, this study demonstrates that low-load resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction produces greater acute improvements in sprint performance in male sprinters than high-load training, accompanied by reductions in pennation angle and increases in muscle-tendon stiffness.

Subject Areas: running, blood flow, human performance, tendons, hip thrust, body limbs, muscle contraction

This study demonstrates that in male sprinters, low‑load blood flow restriction training (BFR) produces acute improvements in sprint performance, pennation angle, and muscle‑tendon stiffness that are comparable to or slightly greater than those induced by high‑load training. Specifically, low‑load BFR combined with barbell hip thrust enhances sprint ability, while low‑load BFR with barbell half‑squat reduces rectus femoris pennation angle and increases lower‑limb stiffness. The concurrent reduction in pennation angle and increase in stiffness may jointly explain the observed post‑activation performance enhancement and explosive power gains.