Leg blood flow during exercise with blood flow restriction: evidence for and implications of compensatory cardiovascular mechanisms.

Proximal limb cuff inflation to 40% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) is assumed to reduce exercising leg perfusion, creating "blood flow restriction" (BFR). However, no study has validated this assumption. Eighteen healthy young participants (9 F) performed two-legged knee flexion/extension exercise at 25% WR with bilateral cuffs applied to the proximal thigh at 0% AOP (CTL), 20% AOP, and 40% AOP.

AMPK and PGC- following maximal and supramaximal exercise in men and women: a randomized cross-over study.

We tested the hypothesis that AMPK activation and peroxisome proliferator gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1) expression are not augmented as exercise intensity (power output) increases from maximal to supramaximal intensities and conducted an exploratory analysis comparing AMPK activation and PGC-1α expression in males and females. Seventeen ( = 9 males;  = 8 females) recreationally active, healthy, young individuals volunteered to participate in the current study. Participants completed work matched interval exercise at 100% (Max) and 133% (Supra) of peak work rate (WRpeak).