Comparative Analysis of Treadmill Walking with Different Occlusion Pressure on Aerobic Capacity and Muscle Strength among Sedentary Collegiates: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFRT) has demonstrated potential as a low-load training method to improve muscular strength and aerobic capacity, particularly in sedentary individuals. However, little is known about the effects of varying occlusion pressures on aerobic activity and knee muscle strength. This study aimed to investigate the effects of treadmill walking and two different occlusion pressures 40% and 60% of Artery Occlusion Pressure (AOP), on aerobic capacity and quadriceps muscle strength in sedentary young adults.
Methods: This single-blind, randomized pilot study involved 40 sedentary college students, 18 of whom were women and 22 were men. The participants were randomly assigned to Group A (40% AOP) and Group B (60% AOP). Training was conducted three times a week for four weeks using a modified Balke protocol and H+ cuffs on the dominant leg. The Activforce 2 dynamometer and queen’s college step test was used to evaluate quadriceps force and VO₂ max before and throughout the intervention, respectively.

Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in aerobic capacity and knee extensor strength following the intervention (p<0.05). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant main effect of time and a significant group×time interaction (p<0.05), indicating greater improvement in the 60% AOP group compared to the 40% AOP group. Percentage change analysis further supported these findings.

Conclusion: Moderate-pressure BFRT (60% AOP) combined with treadmill walking resulted in greater increases in muscle strength and aerobic capacity than lower pressure BFRT. The findings suggest that pressure-specific programming can be used to optimize the advantages of BFRT in sedentary populations