NCT07186231

Strength Training With and Without Blood Flow Restriction on Shoulder Muscle Strength in Healthy Adults

Comparative Effects of Blood Flow Restriction and Traditional Strength Training on Proximal Shoulder Musculature: A Randomized Clinical Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 23 (actual)
• Sponsor: Alice Maria da Costa Carvalhais · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two types of shoulder strength training: low-load training with blood-flow restriction (BFR) and high-load training without BFR. The study includes healthy adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Are changes in shoulder strength, power, endurance, and muscle mass similar with low-load BFR and high-load training? Researchers will compare strength training with BFR to strength training without BFR to see whether changes in shoulder muscle performance are similar. Participants will: * Provide basic personal details, body measurements (e.g., height and weight), and a brief medical history before starting. * Train in one of the two programs (BFR or no BFR) two times per week for 4 weeks. * Complete tests of shoulder maximum strength, power, endurance, and muscle mass at the start and at the end of the protocol.

Detailed description

All outcome assessments were conducted after a standardized warm-up to minimize measurement variability. The warm-up comprised light aerobic activity, followed by dynamic mobility exercises for the shoulder girdle and upper limbs, and targeted stretching of the shoulder and elbow/forearm muscle groups (two sets of 20-30 seconds per muscle group). Safety procedures included monitoring for adverse symptoms during testing and training; sessions were paused or discontinued according to predefined criteria.

Conditions

• Resistance Training
• Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training Effects

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Low-load resistance training with Blood flow Restriction	Each session began with a warm-up including mobility and stretching exercises for the shoulders and upper limbs. During the first session, the one-repetition maximum (1RM) for each participant and exercise was determined using a failure-to-repetition method with applied coefficients. Training was performed at 30 percent 1RM, following a standardized sequence of three shoulder-targeted exercises (shoulder abduction, external rotation, Dumbbell Overhead Press), totaling 75 repetition per session (30/15/15/15), 30-second rest intervals per sets. Movements were executed at a controlled 4-sec. tempo (2 seconds concentric, 2 seconds eccentric). BFR was applied using pneumatic cuffs, maintained during each exercise, released for 60 seconds between exercises, and reapplied for the next. Participants rated exercise difficulty, including pain, tension, and numbness, using a 0-10 numeric scale, with protocol adjustments or session cancellation if symptoms exceeded 7/10.
OTHER	High-load resistance training.	Each session began with a warm-up including mobility and stretching exercises for the shoulders and upper limbs. During the first session, the 1RM for each participant and exercise was determined using a failure-to-repetition method with applied coefficients. Training was performed at 70 percent following a standardized sequence of three shoulder-targeted exercises (shoulder abduction and external rotation, and Dumbbell Overhead Press). Four sets of 8 to 10 repetitions were completed for each exercise, with 2-minutes rest between sets and exercises. Movement speed was moderate (1-second concentric, 2-second eccentric).

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-04-08
• Primary completion: 2024-05-30
• Completion: 2024-05-30
• First posted: 2025-09-22
• Last updated: 2025-09-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Portugal