Strength Training With and Without Blood Flow Restriction on Shoulder Muscle Strength in Healthy Adults

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Resistance Training; Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training Effects

• Registration Number: NCT07186231
• Lead Sponsor: Alice Maria da Costa Carvalhais

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two types of shoulder strength training: low-load training with blood-flow restriction (BFR) and high-load training without BFR. The study includes healthy adults.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Are changes in shoulder strength, power, endurance, and muscle mass similar with low-load BFR and high-load training?

Researchers will compare strength training with BFR to strength training without BFR to see whether changes in shoulder muscle performance are similar.

Participants will:

* Provide basic personal details, body measurements (e.g., height and weight), and a brief medical history before starting.

* Train in one of the two programs (BFR or no BFR) two times per week for 4 weeks.

* Complete tests of shoulder maximum strength, power, endurance, and muscle mass at the start and at the end of the protocol.

Detailed Description

All outcome assessments were conducted after a standardized warm-up to minimize measurement variability. The warm-up comprised light aerobic activity, followed by dynamic mobility exercises for the shoulder girdle and upper limbs, and targeted stretching of the shoulder and elbow/forearm muscle groups (two sets of 20-30 seconds per muscle group). Safety procedures included monitoring for adverse symptoms during testing and training; sessions were paused or discontinued according to predefined criteria.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2024-04-08
• Primary Completion: 2024-05-30
• Study Completion: 2024-05-30
• Status Verified: 2025-09
• Study First Submitted: 2025-09-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-09-15
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-09-15
• Study First Posted: 2025-09-22
• Last Update Posted: 2025-09-22

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 23

Inclusion Criteria

• Body Mass Index between 18.5 and 30 kg/m²

Exclusion Criteria

• participation in sports that heavily involve the dominant arm (e.g., tennis, volleyball, or handball) and do not engage in strength training exercises on the upper limb;
• history of trauma or surgery affecting the dominant upper limb;
• acute or chronic shoulder pain,;
• radiating pain;
• cervical disc herniation;
• previous neck surgeries,;
• upper limb edema;
• history of deep vein thrombosis;
• history of oncologic or metabolic conditions;
• pregnancy;
• experience of persistent symptoms such as numbness, tingling, or pain exceeding 7/10 on a numeric scale during the training (applicable to BFR group);
• missed more than one session during the study.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Deltoid muscle mass	Baseline and between 24 hours and 1 week after completion of the 4-week intervention.	Arm circumference at the armpit level of the dominant limb, used as a proxy for deltoid muscle mass.
Change in shoulder muscle power	Baseline and between 24 hours and 1 week after completion of the 4-week intervention.	Shoulder muscle power, assessed by the Single Arm Seated Shot-Put Test
Change in shoulder muscle maximal strength	Baseline and between 24 hours and 1 week after completion of the 4-week intervention.	Maximal isometric muscle strength measured with the Smart Groin Trainer dynamometer (NeuroExcellence, Braga, Portugal) during a vertical lift task.
Change in muscle shoulder endurance	Baseline and between 24 hours and 1 week after completion of the 4-week intervention.	Shoulder muscle endurance, assessed by the Shoulder Endurance Test (SET)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Numeric Rating Scale	Continuously from the start to the end of each training session, across all sessions during the 4-week intervention (participants report immediately if symptoms reaches ≥7/10.	Participants in the Low-load strength training with BFR group rate pain, numbness and tingling in the dominant upper limb on a 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (0 = none; 10 = worst imaginable). Sessions are paused if NRS ≥ 7/10.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Escola Superior de Tecnologias da Saúde do Tâmega e Sousa; 🇵🇹 Gandra, Paredes, Portugal