Tourniquet Training?!?! | www.bb-forums.com

Has anyone run across this weird new research on low intensity TOURNIQUET TRAINING? I saw a small thing on it in one of the muscle mags, and it caught my interest, and I am now furthering research.

Here is a snippet of a study summary:

To investigate the efficacy of tourniquet ischemia (in medicine, ischemia is a reference to restriction of blood/blood supply to tissues, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue) in strength training with low mechanical stress (very low intensity higher reps) tourniquet ischemia was utilized in low-resistance training. Five untrained subjects conducted one-legged isometric knee extension (leg extensions) training with one leg ischemic (I-leg) and the other non-ischemic (NI-leg). Repeated isometric contractions for 2 seconds with 3 seconds relaxation in between were continued for 3 min and conducted 3 days/week for 4 weeks as training. Training resistance was 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of respective leg and tourniquet ischemia was applied during I-leg training. MVC in I-leg after 2 weeks (9% gain) and 4 weeks (26% gain) were significantly higher than pre-training value (p < 0.05). A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE in maximal rate of torque development in I-leg was observed after 4 weeks (p < 0.05). On the contrary, there was no significant changes in either of the parameters in NI-leg (obviously not enough weight or intensity). As a consequence, the DIFFERENCES between legs for both parameters were SIGNIFICANT after 2 and 4 weeks (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Not a long time. The substantial gain in strength and maximal rate of torque development in I-leg demonstrated the EFFICACY (results - ability to produce a desired amount of a desired effect) of tourniquet ischemia during low-resistance training of short duration, and suggested the importance of neuromuscular and/or metabolic activity, other than high mechanical stress, to the adapting responses to strength training.

So to summarize, cutting off blood blow to a body part, then doing low intensity low volume resistance exercise produced significant muscle gains! Of course the safety of the technique has yet to be determined and further studies will be done over the next years.

It will be interesting to watch this issue as more studies are done!

Makes me almost want to try it. But I'm sure the dangers are very real as well.

l dont see the point in making training complicated

VIP member Enews letter?

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l dont see the point in making training complicated

Trial, error and science are why we don't still look like guys from the 1920s.

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Trial, error and science are why we don't still look like guys from the 1920s.

Exactly.

This is not complicated. It basically says that they are finding that excellent growth in muscle size MIGHT be possible by using very low intensity low resistance, low duration training of a muscle group with the blood supply temporarily cut off. Apparently this does the same or similar thing to a muscle in terms of breaking down the proteins in the cell, as does high intensity hard core heavy training. It might be dangerous, but they just don't know YET.

In the practical world, as an example, I have extremely, extremely stubborn calves. So if I was to try to see if this worked, I might put knee wraps around my knees just above the calves to act as a temporary tourniquet, then do some slow, careful, calve raises with no weight, very low intensity, and with no blood supply going to the calve, then take off the knee wraps and let the blood flow back in.

According to this study, something like this MIGHT, and I stress MIGHT give great results to a muscle group! It is crazy, but physiologically understandable, because this would result in controlled damage to the Actin and Myosin Protein filaments, much like high intensity resistance training damage. That should get all of our attention, I think! Yet, the procedure, and the safety and the EXACT results are still VERY VERY much premature to go barreling into trying it on ourselves! Many more studies are needed to be done, and I guarantee will be.

But I might be willing to try it very very carefully, but just not on my neck muscles!

why would this cause damage to the actin and myosin? is it due to decrease O2 supply from ischaemia