Abstract
Cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditions disproportionately affect women, highlighting the need for exercise protocols that improve strength and support arterial health without contributing to arterial stiffening from excessive training volumes. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of various resistance training to failure protocols on strength and arterial health in young, untrained women. METHODS: Thirty-three women (21 ± 2 yrs) resistance trained twice per week for 8 weeks in one of three groups: high-intensity rest pause (HIRP, 70%-80% 1RM, n = 11), HIRP with 15-minutes of aerobic walking (HIRPA, 70%-80% 1RM, n = 11), or light-to-moderate-intensity rest pause with blood flow restriction (BFR, 40-60% 1RM, n = 11). Sessions included a 5-minute treadmill warm-up at 2-3 mph, followed by five upper- and lower-body exercises performed for two sets. Each set consisted of three bouts to failure, separated by 20-second rest intervals. Strength was assessed via 3RM testing and dynamometry, and arterial elasticity was assessed using carotid artery applanation. Pre- and post-testing sessions were performed at the same time of day under a 3-hour fasted condition. RESULTS: No significant group main effects were observed for any strength or cardiovascular metric (p > 0.05). Only BFR showed significant reductions from baseline in supine brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), central SBP and DBP, mean arterial pressure, forward pulse height, backward pulse height, end-systolic pressure, pulse wave velocity, supine heart rate, and ejection duration (p < 0.05), along with a significant increase in Buckberg SEVR (p < 0.05). The HIRP group only showed significant reduction in seated SBP and DBP (p < 0.05), and the HIRPA group only showed a significant reduction in augmentation index standardized at 75 bpm (AIx75) and a significant increase in Aortic T2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: All training modalities produced positive effects on arterial health, with no evidence of adverse outcomes. While each protocol promoted positive cardiovascular adaptations, the magnitude and number of improvements varied by modality. The BFR group demonstrated the most consistent improvements overall, likely related to enhanced endothelial function and myocardial perfusion mediated by hypoxia-induced signaling and reperfusion shear stress.
Recommended Citation
Schlatter, Rebekah D. and Karabulut, Murat
(2026)
"Impact of High-Intensity Rest-Pause and Blood Flow Restriction Training on Strength and Cardiovascular Adaptations in Women,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
18, Article 132.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss18/132