Blood Flow Restriction Builds Muscle Faster During Resistance Exercise - May Benefit Elderly

Muscle mass in elderly boosted by combining resistance exercise and blood flow restriction 05/14/2010. For years, researchers have known that resistance exercise training –such as weightlifting, in which muscles work against gravity or another force — can be one of the most effective ways to fight the debilitating muscle loss caused by aging. But many older people are unable to get the full benefits of such training because they suffer from conditions such as arthritis that prevent them from lifting enough weight to stimulate muscle growth. And, while younger men and women continue to produce significant amounts of muscle protein for hours after a resistance exercise workout, seniors receive a much smaller post-workout benefit.

Now, though, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have determined that moderately and temporarily restricting the flow of blood through muscles — a practice adopted by bodybuilders who noticed that it made light weights feel heavier— can be combined with low-level resistance exercise training to produce muscle-mass increases in older men. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston via Eurekalert!