Increase strength and muscle mass in half the time it would take with conventional strength training.

 

The KAATSU technique or Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) or variable vascular occlusion is a technique that partially reduces the entry of blood into the arteries by decreasing the exit of blood from the veins of the exercised muscle in the limbs. 

With this technique you can increase your strength and muscle mass using only a fraction of the weight you would need in a conventional strength training workout and in half the time.  This is thanks to the fact that the weight is so low, radically reducing the risk of injury.

Using lighter weights makes strength training accessible to a wider range of people, including senior citizens and patients with medical conditions or injuries.  In adults over 60 years of age, sarcopenia (or age-related loss of muscle mass) rises to 25%, and in those over 80 years of age to 50%.  Remember that the loss of muscle mass puts a person at great risk of falls and fractures.

Today I will explain how it works and what exactly happens inside your body when you apply the blood flow restriction technique.

 

How does the blood flow restriction technique or RFS work?

The ability of RFS to achieve such physiological benefits is directly linked to the decrease in venous blood flow by the muscle group involved, creating an environment of relative hypoxia or low oxygen pressure in the muscle being exercised.

Venous flow control is achieved by wrapping an inflatable band around the limb to be exercised.  The band should be tight enough to slow blood flow to the heart, causing venous blood to pool in the region of the limb being exercised, while being loose enough to allow arterial blood to circulate through it.

By performing a very gentle exercise for a period of 15-20 minutes, you achieve a thorough workout that sends a signal to the brain of a very hard job that needs recovery and adaptation.

The brain then sends a wide variety of hormonal responses that stimulate the muscles and blood vessels to grow and strengthen.  When I refer to muscle mass growth, I'm not talking about acquiring the volume of a bodybuilder, but rather that your muscles develop and tone according to your physical constitution and natural size.

Many people, especially those accustomed to weight training, might think that using light weights to develop and strengthen muscles isn't enough, but this technique has been shown to increase muscle strength by up to 40% in just 12 weeks of training, depending, of course, on the individual's health and the load used. ( study )

It sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? Well, it's real. So much so that this technique has been used in Japan since 1973 as part of the physiotherapy protocol applied by doctors and athletes.

 

The key lies between type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers

High-intensity interval training, such as sprints or heavy weightlifting, is often recommended to increase muscle mass because this type of exercise activates type 2 muscle fibers.

If you perform your training with light weights and without blood occlusion bands, you will not activate type 2 muscle fibers.  However, when applying the KAATSU technique, type 1 muscle fibers become fatigued during the first set of the exercise due to a lack of oxygen, requiring the use of type 2 fibers that produce energy without oxygen and generate high levels of lactate, which are responsible for this metabolic effect.

RFS training not only increases your muscle mass but also your strength and endurance while reducing fat accumulation.   For a person who is not a competitive athlete, this type of exercise is ideal because it meets their needs in a period of one or one and a half hours.

But of course competitive athletes can also benefit from the RFS technique; the only thing is that they might need to combine it with conventional strength training, and well, that's in order to improve their performance and strengthen muscles involved in the sport they practice.

The principle behind this technique lies in the fact that it tricks your brain into believing it is lifting much heavier loads than it is actually lifting, and as a result, it sends the corresponding signals to your body to produce the following compensatory metabolic responses.

Effects on your body when applying the RFS technique

The KAATSU technique (training with partial blood flow restriction) induces a cascade of systemic and metabolic effects disproportionate to the low mechanical load used, combining intense metabolic stress, acute endocrine responses, and vascular and muscular adaptations similar to high-intensity training. ( study )( study )( study )

 

Microcirculation

Perhaps those who can benefit most from the blood flow restriction technique are older people, since the muscle development that occurs with this practice is superior to any training with very heavy weights that they can perform.

It turns out that good blood flow is needed to the stem cells of type 2 muscle fibers, and the reality is that microcirculation in humans decreases with age.  In other words, even if your brain sends signals for muscle development generated by conventional strength training, it won't work if there isn't a sufficient capillary supply to the stem cells of type 2 muscle fibers.

RFS increases microcirculation in capillaries, arterioles, and venules associated with muscle fibers, primarily because the muscles are exercising in a hypoxic or low-oxygen environment.

 

It enhances vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Speaking of tension due to lack of oxygen, which is what happens when applying the blood flow restriction technique, this causes the release of HIF-1 alpha (hypoxia-inducible factor alpha 1) which increases what we call vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF, which is a powerful signaling protein involved in angiogenesis (growth of blood vessels from pre-existing vessels). 

The RFS technique has been shown to increase VEGF levels by 410% in young adults. Furthermore, RFS training has been shown to increase muscle stem cells by 300% after just 8 days of training.

VEGF not only increases the microcirculation of muscle stem cells but also of the heart and brain.  In Japan, where this technique has been most widely applied, it is often used in the rehabilitation of cardiac and stroke patients, precisely for that purpose.

RFS not only stimulates VEGF but also increases the production of nitric oxide (NO) , a signaling molecule that stimulates the production and proliferation of muscle satellite stem cells.

 

Somatomedin C muscle

There is a difference between circulating Somatomedin C or IG-1 and Somatomedin C produced in muscles as a result of exercise.

Somatomedin C is secreted in the liver and thus will not act on tissues that have the ability to produce the hormone themselves, such as skeletal muscle.

It has been discovered that it is NOT the Somatomedin C circulating in the blood that allows muscle growth, but the Somatomedin C produced by the muscle when it is exercised, and even more so when using the KAATSU technique .

It is important to take this difference into account since it has been widely proven that circulating Somatomedin C in the blood inhibits the autophagy mechanism in the body and decreases longevity .  But this is not the case when Somatomedin C is secreted in the muscles as a result of exercise.  This Somatomedin C does not move into the bloodstream and does not inhibit autophagy in the body; it also activates another enzyme, a longevity signal called AMPK or adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase 5 .

  

Myostatin hormone inhibitor

Myostatin is a protein from the growth factor family, whose main function known to date is to act as an inhibitory agent of muscle tissue growth, which has led to its association with sarcopenia processes.

It has been observed that in older adults myostatin levels are twice as high as in young people, making it more difficult for them to develop strength and muscle mass .

On the other hand, until recently lactate was thought to be a metabolic waste product, but it is now understood to be a molecule involved in many metabolic processes and structural adaptations of the organism. 

When the bands are applied and inflated around the muscle being exercised, the type 1 muscle fibers that require oxygen, glucose, and fat to produce energy in the mitochondria quickly give up, and the muscle switches to using type 2 muscle fibers that require burning glucose without oxygen through the process of glycolysis.

The lactate generated by type 2 muscle fibers during RFS actually regulates myostatin production and helps prevent skeletal muscle loss .  Furthermore, a study has shown that with RFS, the reduction in myostatin was 41% and 45% in the respective cases, which has allowed for an increase in muscle protein synthesis. ( study )

The benefits of lactate continue even after releasing the inflatable bands.  Lactate travels from the muscles and is released into the bloodstream to reach the brain where a monocarboxylate transporter delivers it to the brain to be used as fuel.

Once lactate reaches the brain, it increases a powerful hormone called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor or BDNF .  BDNF is a member of the brain growth factors that contribute to neuroplasticity and improve cognitive performance. 

In populations at risk of insulin resistance, maintaining or increasing muscle mass through BFRT/KAATSU may improve systemic glucose uptake and the overall metabolic profile, although specific data on insulin sensitivity with KAATSU are still scarce and are extrapolated from the BFRT literature.

Combinations of KAATSU with other modalities (e.g., whole-body vibration) have been explored to enhance lower limb strength and power in frail individuals, with potential positive impact on daily energy expenditure and fall prevention.

 

Activation of human growth hormone

Low-load protocols with KAATSU can trigger very marked increases in human growth hormone (hGH), in some studies up to orders of magnitude higher than baseline (classically described as ~290× after intense occlusion protocols). ( study )( study )

Acute increases in hGH, testosterone, and IGF - 1 have been described in low-load sessions with BFR, associated with high lactate concentrations and local acidosis. ( study )

On average, it can take between 4-6 weeks to gain muscle mass and strength, although most people start to see dramatic changes within the first two weeks.  According to a study, older adults who used the technique twice a week obtained and maintained the desired results, while those who reduced their training to once a week did not maintain the effects they had achieved.

You can benefit from using bands daily.  The number of exercises can vary, or you can simply place the bands on your legs and walk for 20 minutes, or place them on your arms for swimming.  Training doesn't have to involve the use of weights; you can use them to practice the movements involved in your favorite sport.

If you would like to learn more about this technique and how to implement it, you can contact me at johannakollou@gmail.com

Those who purchase my Synergy Program have the option of completing their training through this modality.

From a longevity perspective, the appeal of KAATSU lies in obtaining intense mechano - metabolic stimuli for muscle and vascularization with low joint and bone cost, provided it is integrated into a broader program that includes aerobic work, traditional strength training, flexibility and control of risk factors.