Examining the impact of blood flow restriction on cardiac rehabilitation outcomes

Table 3 Main setting for programming blood flow restriction in cardiovascular disease

Programming variable		Details
Exercise protocol	Type of exercise	Resistance training was common, using exercises such as knee extension, leg press or biceps flexion. Aerobic exercise was also employed (i,e. cycle ergometer)
	Exercise intensity	Low intensity predominated: Resistance exercise at 10%-40% of 1RM; aerobic exercise at about 40%-70% of estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) or 60%-80% heart rate
	Sets and repetitions	Typical protocol: 1 × 30 reps followed by 3 × 15 reps. Other variations included 3 × 15 reps or 3 × 30 reps
	Rest interval	Rest periods ranged from 30 to 60 seconds between sets
	Targeted muscles/Limbs	Both lower limbs (e.g., thigh/knee extensions, leg press) and upper limbs (e.g., elbow flexion) were trained; many protocols used bilateral exercise
	Session frequency	Varied by protocol-examples include once per week in acute sessions and twice or three sessions per week in multisession studies
	Intervention duration	Ranged from single sessions or 1–3 acute sessions to multiweek protocols (e.g., 8-16 sessions over 8 weeks or 3 months). Chronic effects remain poorly characterized
BFR protocol	BFR pressure values	Highly variable: Examples include fixed pressures of 200 mmHg, ranges of 100–250 mmHg, 50% of AOP, or 15-20 to 40-80 mmhg > resting SBP
	Pressure determination	Methods included arbitrary fixed pressures, percentages of SBP or percentage of AOP. A lack of consistent use of % AOP was noted
	Cuff width	Varied widely-from 3 centimeters (cm) inelastic cuffs to 23 cm. Wider cuffs (> 12 cm) are recommended for safety and comfort, as they require lower inflation pressures to achieve occlusion
	Cuff type	Both pneumatic cuffs with manometers and inelastic cuffs were used.
	Occlusion protocol	Occlusion was applied continuously throughout sets and rest intervals. Cyclical occlusion–reperfusion has been discussed in heartfailure contexts but was not detailed in these acute/shortterm studies

BFR: Blood flow restriction; 1RM: One repetition maximum; VO₂max: Maximal oxygen uptake; SBP: Systolic blood pressure; AOP: Arterial occlusion pressure.