Abstract
Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 6: Issue 1, Article 9, 2025. Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) is a transient decrease in pain perception that can be observed following various tasks, including low-intensity and high-intensity exercise. The application of blood flow occlusion (BFO) can help enhance exercise adaptations while being able to exercise at a low intensity, which has important implications for clinical and rehabilitative settings. Through descending inhibitory pathways, BFO-induced pain can potentially alleviate exercise-induced pain. This study aimed to assess whether the superimposition of BFO – and its associated augmented perceived responses – during low-intensity, low-volume resistance exercise could induce hypoalgesia. Nineteen healthy adults (10 females) attended three sessions: i) no exercise (CTRL), ii) two minutes of dynamic single-leg knee extension at 10% body weight (EXER), and iii) EXER with complete occlusion applied to the upper exercising leg (OCCL). Handheld algometry-derived pain pressure threshold (PPT) of the trapezius and contralateral and ipsilateral rectus femoris muscles were measured pre- and post-exercise, and after 5 and 10 min of recovery. Visual analog scales were used to rate perceived pain (from 0 to10) and effort (from 6 to 20). Although pain and effort were augmented in the OCCL condition (Pain: 6±2; Effort: 14±3) compared to CTRL (Pain: 2±2, p).
Repository Citation
Morgan, Sophie-Jayne; Zhang, Jenny; Lemay, Neil; Khaledi, Neda; and Aboodarda, Saied J.
(2025)
"Blood Flow Occlusion Superimposed on Low-Volume, Low-Intensity Knee Extensions Does Not Evoke Hypoalgesia: A Pilot Study,"
Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology: Vol. 6:
Iss.
1, Article 9.
Available at:
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/scholarship_kin/vol6/iss1/9
Included in
Exercise Science Commons, Motor Control Commons, Other Kinesiology Commons, Pain Management Commons, Psychology of Movement Commons, Sports Sciences Commons