Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (28): 4577-4585.doi: 10.12307/2023.813

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Improvement of cognitive function by blood flow restriction training: mechanisms and applications

Bai Xing1, 2, Wang Guojun1, 2, Wang Shaokun1, 2   

  1. 1Physical Education College of Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412000, Hunan Province, China; 2Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Health and Fitness, Zhuzhou 412000, Hunan Province, China
  • Received:2022-10-20 Accepted:2022-11-25 Online:2023-10-08 Published:2023-01-29
  • Contact: Wang Guojun, PhD, Associate professor, Master’s supervisor, Physical Education College of Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412000, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Health and Fitness, Zhuzhou 412000, Hunan Province, China
  • About author:Bai Xing, Master candidate, Physical Education College of Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412000, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Health and Fitness, Zhuzhou 412000, Hunan Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory Open Research Program, No. TZJK-202105 (to WGJ)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Blood flow restriction training is a new resistance training. Blood flow restriction training can not only influence muscle strength, mass and physical ability, but also induce and activate related signaling pathways such as neural plasticity and cognitive function. However, current studies have not systematically evaluated the effects of blood flow restriction training on the cognitive ability of different populations, and the neurobiological mechanism by which blood flow restriction training improves cognitive function is not fully understood. Moreover, the application solutions of blood flow restriction training are still not fully understood.
OBJECTIVE: To review the existing experimental studies on the influence of blood flow restriction training on cognitive function of different populations, deeply analyze the potential neurobiological mechanisms, and summarize the previous rational programs of blood flow restriction training that improve cognitive function, in order to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the safe and effective application of this technology.
METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were retrieved using “blood flow restriction training, pressure training, blood flow restriction therapy, blood flow restriction, pressure blood block training, blood block, cognitive function, cognitive ability” as Chinese keywords and “blood flow restriction therapy, KAATSU training, KAATSU volume, resistance training, BFR therapy, BFRT, blood flow restriction exercise, cognition, cognitive function” as English keywords. The search deadline was October 2022. Relevant inclusion criteria were established according to the research needs and finally 84 articles were included for further review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The experimental studies regarding the influence of blood flow restriction training on cognitive ability mainly select healthy people as subjects in an attempt to explore its application value in healthy elderly populations. However, in general, there are few studies on elderly people and patients with cognitive dysfunction. Blood flow restriction training can be used as a key factor to trigger positive neural adaptation to a certain extent by applying hypoxic stimulation to the extremity to induce transient brain oxygen deficiency. Blood flow restriction training can significantly improve the levels of bioactive molecules related to the improvement of cognitive function, mainly including insulin-like growth factor 1, growth hormone, vascular endothelial growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, lactic acid, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivation factor 1α and norepinephrine. The formulation of blood flow restriction training application programs involves the selection of training participants, the determination of exercise factors and the setting of cuff pressure and its width. Future studies should pay attention to the comparison of the application effects of different blood flow restriction training methods in different populations, so as to make the clinical application of blood flow restriction training more perfect and reasonable, providing more theoretical basis for blood flow restriction training to improve cognitive function in patients with cognitive dysfunction.

Key words: blood flow restriction training, cognitive function, neurobiological mechanism, neuromuscular adaptation, exercise intervention program, resistance training, work against resistance, muscle strength, muscle mass, pressurized cuff

CLC Number: