Hormonal
Low-intensity endurance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR-EE) fails to upregulate PGC-1α isoforms to the extent of moderate-intensity endurance exercise, suggesting it provides an insufficient stimulus for mitochondrial biogenesis signaling.
If your goal is improving mitochondrial density or VO2 max, low-intensity cycling with blood flow restriction is not a sufficient substitute for moderate-intensity endurance training. While BFR may help with muscle strength or size at low loads, it does not trigger the same molecular signals (PGC-1α) as standard endurance exercise.
The attenuated expression of all four PGC-1α isoforms when endurance exercise is performed with blood flow restriction suggests this type of exercise provides an insufficient stimulus to activate the signaling pathways governing mitochondrial and angiogenesis responses observed with moderate- to high intensity endurance exercise.
Why this rating
Randomized, counter-balanced, cross-over design with muscle biopsies, though small sample size (n=9).
Source
Attenuated PGC-1α Isoforms following Endurance Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction
Miguel Soares Conceição et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2016
DOI 10.1249/mss.0000000000000970
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