Muscle HypertrophyNCT07561281
Low-Load BFR vs. High-Load Training on Biceps Hypertrophy
A study testing Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise and High-Load Resistance Exercise in people with Muscle Hypertrophy, run by Mehmet Akif Ersoy University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study aimed to compare the effects of low-load blood flow restriction resistance exercise (BFR-RE) performed to voluntary failure with traditional high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE) and a control condition on biceps brachii muscle hypertrophy, muscle stiffness, and maximal strength in untrained young men. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Muscle Hypertrophy
- What is being tested?
- Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise and High-Load Resistance Exercise
- Type of treatment
- Medical device, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 33 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Jun 2025to 3 Aug 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 30 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Healthy male participants aged 18-30 years No prior history of structured or specialized resistance training targeting the biceps brachii muscle Normotensive (blood pressure <140/90 mmHg) Right-handed (to reduce variability related to limb dominance) Willing to provide written informed consent and comply with the study protocol
Who cannot join
- History of orthopedic injury or musculoskeletal disorder affecting the upper extremities Diagnosis of hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) or cardiovascular disease Any neurological condition affecting motor performance Current participation in any structured resistance training program Use of medications or supplements known to influence muscle metabolism or performance
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Karabük University Hasan Dogan Faculty of Sport Sciences
Karabük, Karabük Province, 78050
About this study
Official title: Bayesian Comparison of Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction and High-Load Resistance Exercise on Biceps Brachii Muscle Hypertrophy in Untrained Men
This study aimed to compare the effects of low-load blood flow restriction resistance exercise (BFR-RE) performed to voluntary failure with traditional high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE) and a control condition on biceps brachii muscle hypertrophy, muscle stiffness, and maximal strength in untrained young men.
Participants completed an 8-week training program, with exercise performed three times per week. Outcomes were assessed using ultrasound imaging, elastography, and one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing. The study evaluates whether low-load BFR training can produce adaptations comparable to high-load resistance training.
Read the detailed description
This study was designed to examine the efficacy of low-load blood flow restriction resistance exercise (BFR-RE) performed to voluntary failure compared with traditional high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE) in inducing muscular adaptations in untrained individuals. The experimental framework was structured to isolate the effects of mechanical load and metabolic stress by standardizing the selection of exercises and the training frequency across groups.
A controlled, single-blind, repeated-measures design was used, with participants allocated to BFR-RE, HL-RE, or a non-exercising control condition. The intervention period was set at 8 weeks to ensure sufficient exposure for hypertrophic and neuromuscular adaptations, while minimizing potential confounding effects of long-term training variability.
The BFR-RE protocol was developed to emphasize metabolic stress through low external loading (30% 1RM), partial vascular occlusion (60% limb occlusion pressure), and sets performed to volitional failure. In contrast, the HL-RE condition was structured to prioritize mechanical tension using moderate-to-high loading (70% 1RM) without vascular restriction. This contrast enables a mechanistic comparison of two distinct hypertrophic stimuli.
To reduce acute exercise-induced confounding factors, particularly transient muscle swelling, post-intervention assessments were complemented with a delayed follow-up measurement. This approach was incorporated better to reflect true morphological adaptations rather than short-term physiological responses.
The methodological approach integrates imaging-based and performance-based assessments to capture both structural and functional adaptations. The overall design enables evaluation of whether BFR-RE can provide a time-efficient and lower-load alternative to traditional resistance training while maintaining comparable adaptive outcomes.
- Conditions
- Muscle Hypertrophy
- Being tested
- Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise, High-Load Resistance Exercise
- Keywords
- Blood Flow Restriction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Blood Flow Restriction Resistance ExerciseDevice
Also called BFR Training
Resistance exercise was performed under partial vascular occlusion using a pneumatic cuff applied to the upper arm. Limb occlusion pressure was individually determined, and exercise was conducted at a relative intensity corresponding to a percentage of one-repetition maximum. Occlusion pressure was maintained during sets and released between exercises. Training load and repetition tempo were standardized and progressively adjusted throughout the intervention period.
High-Load Resistance ExerciseBehavioural
Also called Traditional Resistance Training
Participants performed resistance exercise using conventional loading strategies based on a percentage of one-repetition maximum. Training intensity, volume, and progression were standardized across sessions, with loads adjusted periodically according to performance assessments.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| BFR-RE | Experimental | Participants performed low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction using 30% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) and 60% limb occlusion pressure. Exercises were performed to voluntary failure, three times per week for 8 weeks. Receives: Device: Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise |
| HL-RE | Active comparator | Participants performed traditional high-load resistance exercise at 70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) without blood flow restriction, three times per week for 8 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: High-Load Resistance Exercise |
| Control | No intervention | Participants did not engage in any structured resistance training program and continued their normal daily activities throughout the 8-week study period. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Biceps Brachii Muscle Thickness
Muscle thickness of the biceps brachii was assessed using ultrasound imaging to evaluate hypertrophic adaptations following the intervention.
Measured: Baseline and 8 weeks (post-intervention), with an additional follow-up measurement at 1 week after the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 May 2026
- Study start1 Jun 2025
- Primary completion3 Aug 2025
- Study completion3 Aug 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Muscle HypertrophyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants were assigned to one of three parallel groups: blood flow restriction training group low load resistance training group and control group and all outcomes were assessed pre and post intervention.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 33 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Karabuk University
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Huseyin Sahin UYSAL, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07561281
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Mehmet Akif Ersoy Universitesi
- Other IDs
- BFR_HLRE_UntrainedMen
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 24 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 7 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Bayesian Comparison of Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction and High-Load Resistance Exercise on Biceps Brachii Muscle Hypertrophy in Untrained Men
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07561281
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Mehmet Akif Ersoy Universitesi
- Conditions
- Muscle Hypertrophy
- Keywords
- Blood Flow Restriction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 33 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mehmet Akif Ersoy UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Karabuk University
- Study start
- 1 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 3 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 3 Aug 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 May 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aimed to compare the effects of low-load blood flow restriction resistance exercise (BFR-RE) performed to voluntary failure with traditional high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE) and a control condition on biceps brachii muscle hypertrophy, muscle stiffness, and maximal strength in untrained young men.
Participants completed an 8-week training program, with exercise performed three times per week. Outcomes were assessed using ultrasound imaging, elastography, and one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing. The study evaluates whether low-load BFR training can produce adaptations comparable to high-load resistance training.
Detailed description
This study was designed to examine the efficacy of low-load blood flow restriction resistance exercise (BFR-RE) performed to voluntary failure compared with traditional high-load resistance exercise (HL-RE) in inducing muscular adaptations in untrained individuals. The experimental framework was structured to isolate the effects of mechanical load and metabolic stress by standardizing the selection of exercises and the training frequency across groups.
A controlled, single-blind, repeated-measures design was used, with participants allocated to BFR-RE, HL-RE, or a non-exercising control condition. The intervention period was set at 8 weeks to ensure sufficient exposure for hypertrophic and neuromuscular adaptations, while minimizing potential confounding effects of long-term training variability.
The BFR-RE protocol was developed to emphasize metabolic stress through low external loading (30% 1RM), partial vascular occlusion (60% limb occlusion pressure), and sets performed to volitional failure. In contrast, the HL-RE condition was structured to prioritize mechanical tension using moderate-to-high loading (70% 1RM) without vascular restriction. This contrast enables a mechanistic comparison of two distinct hypertrophic stimuli.
To reduce acute exercise-induced confounding factors, particularly transient muscle swelling, post-intervention assessments were complemented with a delayed follow-up measurement. This approach was incorporated better to reflect true morphological adaptations rather than short-term physiological responses.
The methodological approach integrates imaging-based and performance-based assessments to capture both structural and functional adaptations. The overall design enables evaluation of whether BFR-RE can provide a time-efficient and lower-load alternative to traditional resistance training while maintaining comparable adaptive outcomes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Participants were assigned to one of three parallel groups: blood flow restriction training group low load resistance training group and control group and all outcomes were assessed pre and post intervention.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| BFR-RE | Experimental | Device: Blood Flow Restriction Resistance ExerciseParticipants performed low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction using 30% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) and 60% limb occlusion pressure. Exercises were performed to voluntary failure, three times per week for 8 weeks. |
| HL-RE | Active comparator | Behavioral: High-Load Resistance ExerciseParticipants performed traditional high-load resistance exercise at 70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) without blood flow restriction, three times per week for 8 weeks. |
| Control | No intervention | –Participants did not engage in any structured resistance training program and continued their normal daily activities throughout the 8-week study period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Healthy male participants aged 18-30 years No prior history of structured or specialized resistance training targeting the biceps brachii muscle Normotensive (blood pressure <140/90 mmHg) Right-handed (to reduce variability related to limb dominance) Willing to provide written informed consent and comply with the study protocol
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- History of orthopedic injury or musculoskeletal disorder affecting the upper extremities Diagnosis of hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) or cardiovascular disease Any neurological condition affecting motor performance Current participation in any structured resistance training program Use of medications or supplements known to influence muscle metabolism or performance
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Flow Restriction Resistance ExerciseAlso: BFR TrainingResistance exercise was performed under partial vascular occlusion using a pneumatic cuff applied to the upper arm. Limb occlusion pressure was individually determined, and exercise was conducted at a relative intensity corresponding to a percentage of one-repetition maximum. Occlusion pressure was maintained during sets and released between exercises. Training load and repetition tempo were standardized and progressively adjusted throughout the intervention period. | Device | BFR-RE |
| High-Load Resistance ExerciseAlso: Traditional Resistance TrainingParticipants performed resistance exercise using conventional loading strategies based on a percentage of one-repetition maximum. Training intensity, volume, and progression were standardized across sessions, with loads adjusted periodically according to performance assessments. | Behavioural | HL-RE |
Primary outcome
Biceps Brachii Muscle Thickness
Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks (post-intervention), with an additional follow-up measurement at 1 week after the intervention
Muscle thickness of the biceps brachii was assessed using ultrasound imaging to evaluate hypertrophic adaptations following the intervention.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 May 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise and High-Load Resistance Exercise in people with Muscle Hypertrophy, run by Mehmet Akif Ersoy University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Biceps Brachii Muscle Thickness (time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks (post-intervention), with an additional follow-up measurement at 1 week after the intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 May 2026.