Acute effects of blood flow restricted aerobic exercise in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: This study aimed to compare the acute effects of aerobic exercise performed with blood flow restriction (BFR), a novel method to increase exercise gains, with blood free flow (BFF) conditions in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Fifteen individuals with T2DM performed BFF and BFR (40% of arterial occlusion pressure) cycling exercises 48 hours apart, at equal intensity (45% heart rate reserve) and duration (38 minutes). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), blood glucose, heart rate, and muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2) were assessed before-after and during exercise sessions. Results: SBP, DBP, and MAP in the overload phase were higher in the BFR group than in the BFF group (P = .009, 0.031, and 0.013, respectively). Changes in blood pressure (triangle SBP and triangle DBP) were similar between the BFF and BFR groups (P > .05), whereas triangle MAP differed (P = .016). Changes in blood glucose levels and heart rates were not significantly different between the groups. Although SmO(2)baseline was lower in the BFR group (P = .049), SmO(2)min and SmO(2)max did not differ significantly between the BFF and BFR groups. Conclusion: The similar decrease in blood glucose levels between the groups suggests that BFR exercise is favorable in terms of hypoglycemia. The higher blood pressure observed during the BFR exercise remained within safe limits. These results suggest that people with T2DM can safely perform BFR aerobic exercises; however, further studies are required.