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RecruitingNCT06420362Updated Aug 5, 2024

Blood Flow Restriction Training in Basketball Players

An interventional study of Blood Flow Restriction in Basketball Players, sponsored by Biruni University. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 25 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-05.

Sponsored by Biruni University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Sep 2024, 2 years ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Started Aug 2024; still recruiting 2 years 2 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 25 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

Blood Flow Restrictive Exercises (BFR) provide strength increase with less load than required for traditional muscle strengthening and power. As an alternative for populations that have difficulty training with high loads and speeds, low-intensity BFR training has been shown to improve muscle strength and aerobic parameters and to be safe, even in professional athletes and individuals with chronic diseases in various populations. The aim of our study is to examine the effects of BFR applied to the upper extremity on upper extremity muscle strength and performance in basketball players.

Read the detailed description

Basketball is a demanding sport that requires participants to display a high level of physical fitness and special sporting skills. Basketball requires a high level of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning and is not only a team sport, but also a sport that requires players to demonstrate their individual characteristics. In this regard, it is thought that the determination of performance components based on field tests is a more suitable method for determining the athletic levels of athletes with special needs.

BFR, which aims to restrict blood flow to the muscle during exercise, is traditionally known as 'kaatsu'. Blood flow is restricted with a pressure-controlled and monitorable exercise belt produced for BFR. In order for the method to be successful, the tourniquet method must be applied to the proximal region of the extremity, and in this way, less blood flow to the muscle can actually be achieved.

With BFR, it is recommended that the external pressure be made sufficient to restrict the arterial oxygen pressure between 40% and 80%, and it is thought that the effects of exercise increase in this hypoxic environment. In this way, it is sufficient to perform the exercises at 20% to 40% of the 1 maximum repetition, not 60-85%, which is normally required for muscle hypertrophy. An ischemic and hypoxic muscle environment during BFR; It has been hypothesized that it is produced to cause high levels of metabolic stress and mechanical tension. Both metabolic stress and mechanical tension have been described as "primary hypertrophy factors" and are theorized to activate other mechanisms for muscle growth.

Strength training performed by restricting blood flow plays an important role in muscle hypertrophy by activating the endocrine system. It has been proven that low-intensity blood flow restriction training increases the plasma concentration of growth hormone more than normal exercises. BFR involves low-intensity resistance training and is placed on the proximal portion of the lower or upper extremity muscles to be worked with a bandage or cuff that restricts blood flow, providing appropriate superficial pressure.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of BFR applied to the upper extremity on upper extremity muscle strength and performance in basketball players.

02

Conditions studied

  • Basketball Players

Keywords

  • bloodflowrestriction
  • basketball
  • basketball performance
  • kaatsu training
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Biruni University is the lead sponsor of 172 studies on the registry; 43 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 25 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Being between the ages of 18-25,
  • Having been attending training regularly for at least one year,
  • Having been playing basketball as a licensed player for at least 3 months,
  • Male athletes,
  • Volunteering to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals with orthopedic or neurological disabilities that may prevent the exercise test,
  • Individuals who have had a sports injury in the last 6 months,
  • Not actively participating in training,
  • Taking a break from sports
  • Individuals with inadequate cooperation
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
10 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Blood Flow Restriction Training Group

    While the basketball players continue their current basketball training; The 90-minute BFR program will be applied 3 sessions a week for 3 weeks. In the BFR program, biceps curls, triceps curls, shoulder presses, shoulder abduction exercises and sport-specific routine training will be applied. Exercises: 30% of 1 maximum repetition with resistance and 60% of arterial occlusion pressure restricted; Based on previous studies in the literature, the first set will be performed with 30 repetitions and the other three sets with 15 repetitions, a total of 4 sets and a 30-second rest between sets. There will be a 10-minute warm-up exercise before each BFR training and a 10-minute cool-down exercise at the end of the training.

    Other: Blood Flow Restriction

  • No intervention
    Routine Training

    Initial evaluations will be made for all participants. Then, they will continue their routine basketball training programs for 3 weeks.

Interventions

  • OtherBlood Flow Restriction

    Before BFR training, a repetition maximal (1-RM) test will be determined by selecting a weight with which athletes can perform a maximum of 10 repetitions. The number of repetitions obtained here and the weight lifted will be written into the Brzycki formula, whose validity and reliability has been proven, and 1-TM will be calculated. Brzycki formula; 1-TM = \[100 x (Weight Lifted) / \[(102.78 - 2.78 x (Number of Reps)\] The arterial occlusion pressure of the participants will be measured with a Doppler Ultrasound device by increasing the cuff to the point where the auscultatory pulse of the brachial artery ceases until occlusion occurs in the brachial artery. Then, 60% of this value will be calculated and BFR will be performed during the exercises.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Bench press test

    Bench Press 1RM test will be applied for upper extremity muscle strength. the athlete's 1RM weight will be determined.

    Time frame: Change from Baseline Bench press test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks

  2. Hand Grip Strength

    "Jamar (NY 10533)" brand dynamometer, one of the hydraulic measuring instruments, will be used to measure grip force.

    Time frame: Change from Baseline Hand Grip Strength at 3 weeks and 6 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. 20 m Sprint Test

    A 20 m speed test will be applied to evaluate the speed of the participants. Running basketball players will be asked to run the 20-meter track at maximum level after starting.

    Time frame: Change from Baseline Bench press test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks

  2. T Agility Test

    T test will be applied to evaluate the agility of the participants.The best time of the participants will be recorded.

    Time frame: Change from Baseline T Agility Test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks

  3. Free Throw Test

    A shooting test will be applied to evaluate the shooting skills of the athletes. Athletes will be asked to make 2 sets of free throws with 8 repetitions after the "Start" command from the starting position behind the foul (free throw) line. Total scores will be recorded at the end of the test.

    Time frame: Change from Baseline Free Throw Test at 3 weeks and 6 weeks

  4. Fatigue Assessment

    The modified Borg CR10 scale will be used to evaluate perceived fatigue.

    Time frame: immediately after each BFR session

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided — The data will be shared during the publication process if the journal will ask.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 5, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06420362
Lead sponsor
Biruni University
Responsible party
Buket AKINCI (Assoc.Prof., Biruni University) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 20, 2024
Start date
Aug 2, 2024
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 30, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 5, 2024

Study contacts

Buket AKINCI, Assoc.Prof.
Contact
bakinci@biruni.edu.tr
+90 212 409 12 12 ext. 1208
Busra ERDEM, PT
Contact
berdemerdemb@gmail.com
+90 530 084 18 51
Buket AKINCI, Assoc.Prof.
study chair · Biruni University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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