Mixed
Low-intensity walking (45% HRR) combined with leg blood flow restriction (BFR) at 160-200 mmHg induces significant thigh muscle hypertrophy and strength gains in older women, whereas the same walking intensity without BFR does not.
If you are an older adult looking to build leg muscle but find heavy weights difficult or painful, try walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace (where you can still talk, roughly 45% of your max heart rate reserve) while wearing specialized blood flow restriction cuffs on your thighs. The cuffs should be tightened to a pressure between 160-200 mmHg. Do this 4 days a week for 10 weeks. This method has been shown to increase thigh muscle size and strength in older women, offering a low-impact alternative to heavy resistance training.
After the training, magnetic resonance imaging–measured thigh muscle cross-sectional area (3.1%, p < .01) and muscle volume (3.7%, p < .01) as well as maximal isometric (5.9%, p < .05) and isokinetic (up to 22%, p < .01) strength increased in the BFR-Walk group, but not in the CON-Walk group.
Why this rating
Small sample size (n=18), short duration (10 weeks), and lack of direct protein synthesis measurement in this specific trial (cited from previous studies).
Source
Increases in Thigh Muscle Volume and Strength by Walk Training with Leg Blood Flow Reduction in Older Participants
H Ozaki et al. · The Journals of Gerontology Series A · 2010
DOI 10.1093/gerona/glq182
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