Neuromuscular Adaptations after Blood Flow Restriction Training Combined with Nutritional Supplementation: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) has been shown to be an effective alternative technique to conventional resistance training to increase skeletal muscle hypertrophy and strength. However, neuromuscular response to BFRT in combination with nutritional supplementation has rarely been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of BFRT combined with creatine monohydrate (CrM) and/or hydroxymethyl butyrate (HMB) on skeletal muscle size and strength. Fifteen healthy males were randomly divided into three groups: a) BFRT without supplementation (C-BFR); b) BFRT with CrM supplementation (0.3 g / kg-1) (CrM-BFR); and c) BFRT with CrM (0.3 g / kg-1) and HMB (3 g) supplementation (CrM + HMB-BFR). Participants performed elbow flexion exercise (30% of maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC)) at 30% of total occlusion pressure, twice a week, for three weeks. MIVC of the elbow flexion and brachial biceps muscle thickness were assessed pre- and post-training. There was no significant group-by-time interaction for MIVC values (p>0.05). Biceps muscle thickness was significantly increased from pre- to post-test in all groups (p<0.05). The C-BFR group obtained a greater value of effect size (d=2.2). These findings suggest that 3 weeks of CrM and HMB supplementation had no influence on BFRT-induced neuromuscular adaptations.