Blood Flow Restriction Combined with Electrical Stimulation Attenuates Thigh Muscle Disuse Atrophy.

PURPOSE To investigate the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) combined with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) on skeletal muscle mass and strength during a period of limb disuse. METHODS Thirty healthy participants (22 ± 3 years; 23 ± 3 kg·m) were randomly assigned to either: control (CON; n=10), BFR alone (BFR; n=10), or BFR combined with EMS (BFR+EMS; n=10). All participants completed unloading of a single-leg for 14-days, with no treatment (CON), or while treated with either BFR, or BFR+EMS (twice daily, 5 day/week). BFR treatment involved arterial 3 cycles of 5 min occlusion using suprasystolic pressure, each separated by 5-min of reperfusion. EMS (6s on, 15s off; 200 μs; 60Hz; 15 % MVC) was applied continuously throughout the 3 BFR cycles. Quadriceps muscle mass (whole thigh lean mass via DEXA and Vastus Lateralis (VL) muscle thickness via ultrasound) and strength (via knee-extension maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)) were assessed before and after the 14-day unloading period. RESULTS Following limb unloading, whole thigh lean mass decreased in the control (-4 ± 1%; p 0.5). CONCLUSION Unlike BFR performed in isolation, BFR+EMS represents an effective interventional strategy to attenuate the loss of muscle mass during limb disuse, but it does not demonstrate preservation of strength.