Clinical Research Directory

Cluster Training With Blood Flow Restriction in Competitive 200-m Freestyle Swimmers

Sponsor: Saif Rasheed Ghanim

Summary

This study evaluated the effects of adding individualized blood flow restriction (BFR) to cluster resistance training on swimming performance, physical fitness, and selected circulating growth factors in competitive swimmers. Forty competitive swimmers participated in a matched, non-randomized controlled intervention involving two groups (20 participants per group). The experimental group performed cluster resistance training combined with individualized BFR, whereas the control group completed the same training program without BFR. The intervention lasted 10 weeks, comprising five supervised training sessions per week (50 sessions in total). Each 100-minute session included a 15-minute warm-up, 30 minutes of dry-land cluster resistance training, 50 minutes of swimming-specific training, and a 5-minute cool-down. Dry-land resistance exercises were performed at 60-70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). BFR pressure was individualized to 50% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) for the upper limbs and 60% for the lower limbs. Swimming training intensity was prescribed according to individual maximal heart rate (HRmax). The primary outcome was the change in 200-m freestyle swimming performance time from baseline to the end of the 10-week intervention. Secondary outcomes included standing long jump performance, mean 50-m split time during a continuous maximal 150-m swim, cadence-controlled Burpee repetitions, and resting serum concentrations of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). The study investigated whether individualized BFR combined with cluster resistance training was associated with greater improvements in swimming performance and physiological responses compared with cluster resistance training alone.

Official title: Cluster Training With Blood Flow Restriction and 200-m Freestyle Performance, FGF-2, and VEGF-A Responses in Competitive Swimmers: A Matched Controlled Study

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