BFR Radio

Exercise and Improved Brain Function

Hi and welcome to this episode of BFR Radio. 

To kickstart this and the next few episodes, we are going to venture beyond the well-trodden paths of muscle strength and hypertrophy to explore the lesser-known benefits of Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) on cognitive function. In the upcoming episodes, we look at  the research that unveils the promising role of BFR in enhancing cognitive abilities, a topic of immense significance, especially for the aging population grappling with cognitive issues.

In our kickstart episode, we dissect the seminal paper "Exercise and Cognitive Function" by Paul Loprinzi, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. This review lays the foundational knowledge for our series and looks at how exercise meets cognition. 

To understand the mechanisms as to how BFR training can help with cognitive function, there are a few key markers that illustrate how this works. Some of these markers include proteins like BDNF that play a pivotal role in fostering neuron growth and enhancing cognitive abilities and SNPs and their influence on cognitive function.

Although this primarily covers foundational knowledge, the last study we cover is a BFR training study and highlights at the enhanced effectiveness of resistance training with BFR on cognitive performance. 

Another concept, I’m keen to explore is a segment called, “What would you do.” For select episodes I’ll pose a scenario-based question. Let me know what you think of this one. 

Scenario: You're a college student who has a big exam coming up. You've been studying for weeks, but you're feeling a bit nervous about how well you'll do on the exam. You've heard that exercise can help improve cognitive function, but you're not sure what type of exercise or how long you should exercise for.

 

What would you do?

As promised, here is the answer: First of all, it's important to remember that exercise can have a positive impact on cognitive function. Studies have shown that even a short bout of exercise, like a 20-minute brisk walk, can improve executive function. So, if you're feeling nervous about your exam, taking a break to go for a walk or do some other type of exercise could be a good idea. In terms of what type of exercise to do, it's important to choose something that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up. Running, cycling, or playing a sport are all good options. And if you're short on time, even a quick 10-minute workout can be beneficial. So, to answer the question, if you're feeling nervous about an upcoming exam, taking a break to do some exercise could be a good idea. Choose an activity that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up, and even a short bout of exercise can help improve your cognitive function.

 

Hope you enjoy this episode. 

Chris

 

Article Resource: McMorris, T., Tomporowski, P., & Audiffren, M. (Eds.). (2009). Exercise and cognitive function. John Wiley & Sons.

Your Questions Answered

Welcome to episode 56. 

I hope you enjoyed our last episode with Sean Jorgenson where he outlines how he uses BFR. It was full of practical ways to incorporate BFR into your own routine - no matter how busy you are.

This week, I have put together some of the questions that you have asked me. I find these have good application to everyone and I am sure you'll get lots of great handy hints with this one. 

In this episode we are covering the following questions:

First question, "So, I had an ACL reco last week and am wanting to use my BFR cuffs to help with rehab. When would you say it is a few to start using it post-op?"

The next question, follows on the same theme from the previous.

"How would you structure BFR in a week? For example ACL early post operation,  how much would you do in a week?"

This question is also very similar to another general BFR question, around how often can I use BFR in a week. Within this answer I expand and discuss how this concept can be used for BFR use in general and also I talk about a great warm-up protocol that you can incorporate to enhance your BFR sessions. 

 

The last point, is not a question but rather is an easy-to-understand explanation of the mechanisms to how BFR can initiate the healing process with soft-tissue muscle injuries. I have seen some unbelievably quick healing times when incorporating BFR with muscle injuries and strains. With this, I try my best to explain how it works.

As always, if you have questions please ask. Only too happy to answer them. 

Thanks for listening and remember to keep the pump.

 

Chris

Better Back & Bigger Biceps with Sean Jorgensen

Welcome to this jam packed episode of BFR Radio. 

This was a fun episode to record. In this episode I interview Sean Jorgensen who is a good friend of mine. He is a loving father, and loves to keep fit and active. The addition of BFR into his exercise routine has been a bit of a revolution for multiple reasons.

As the title of the episode suggests, the main two benefits is that the addition of BFR has helped his back pain and also he has got bigger biceps. There are so many practical takeaways from this podcast episode that I just can't list it here. 

Sean gives fantastic practical advice and highlights some cool ways to incorporate exercise (and BFR) into your own busy lifestyle. 

Also, we recorded this episode at his place with the hope of enjoying some smoked meats. Next time. 

Enjoy the episode and remember to keep the pump.

 

Chris

Accelerate recovery from muscle injuries BFR - Understand how it works.

It's competition time for a lot of athletes. Unfortunately, athletes get muscle tears and injuries. I've had a lot success using BFR to accelerate return from injuries in much quicker than normal expected timelines. 

The mechanisms and concepts involved in this process is quite complex. So in this BFR Radio "shorts" I've broken it down and tried to explain it in a more relatable way, so you too can understand what is going on. 

I've spoken a lot about this concept and had unbelievable success with getting athletes (and non-athletes) back on the track in record time. 

This podcast is from the paper, 
The role of inflammation and immune cells in blood flow restriction training adaptation: a review. (2018). Rossi, F. E., De Freitas, M. C., Zanchi, N. E., Lira, F. S., & Cholewa, J. M. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 1376.

If you enjoy this short version of the podcast let me know and I'll add them. 

Stay tuned for our next podcast which will be an interview where we look at how BFR has been helping bad backs and building bigger biceps. 

Chris

Supercharge your Squat - BFR High Load Lifting

Welcome to the first episode for 2023, 

Today's episode continues the theme of adding BFR to high-load lifting. With most of BFR strength training focuses on low-load lifting (20-30% RM), where does this leave the addition of BFR strength training for strength/power athletes. Typically (non-BFR) loads of >60% of 1RM are required to improve strength and power. So today's article continues the concept of high-load BFR strength training.  The last episode focused on the benefits of the Bench Press and today's episode moves onto the Squat.

The article I review is called

”"Acute effects of different blood flow restriction protocols on bar velocity during the squat exercise," and the primary author is Michael Wilks.

I've done a lot of lifting using BFR with high loads with my own training and also with the athletes that I work with.  

I'm excited for next podcast already - it's an interview and it's jam packed with lots of great practical ways to implement BFR; and you don't have to be an athlete.

 

If you are looking to get into blood flow restriction training please visit our website which is www.thebfr.co  where there's lots of information, free resources and you can also purchase your own set of BFR cuffs.

 

You can also catch us on:

• Instagram - @thebfr.co 
• Twitter - @thebfr_co
• YouTube - The BFR. co

If you do want to get into blood flow restriction, you can purchase your cuffs there as well. Thanks for listening and remember to keep the pump.

Chris

Big Benching with BFR

Welcome to today's episode, 

With most of BFR strength training focuses on low-load lifting (20-30% RM), where does this leave the addition of BFR strength training for strength/power athletes. Typically (non-BFR) loads of >60% of 1RM are required to improve strength and power. So today's article looks at the concept of high-load BFR strength training. 

”Short Term Blood Flow Restriction, Increases Power Output, and Bar Velocity during the Bench Press”, and this was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, and the primary author is Michael Wilks.

The podcast not only reviews the article, but I've also done a small study of my own.  I add some of my own findings and thoughts on how you can use this in a training program.

 

This will be the last podcast for the year. Thanks for all of your support throughout the year. I appreciate you all.

 

If you are looking to get into blood flow restriction training please visit our website which is www.thebfr.co  where there's lots of information, free resources and you can also purchase your own set of BFR cuffs.

 

 

You can also catch us on:

• Instagram - @thebfr.co 
• Twitter - @thebfr_co
• YouTube - The BFR. co

If you do want to get into blood flow restriction, you can purchase your cuffs there as well. Thanks for listening. See you in the New Year and remember to keep the pump.

Chris

Extreme Injuries - BFR can bring back hope

Hi there,

Thanks for your patience in between episodes. If you've been following me on Instagram, you'll the scene that I've been overseas traveling in the UK and also in the us. And in particular, I. Coach track and field athlete and de athlete, Cedric Dubler who? Firstly, we went to the us and we competed at world champs where he finished eighth.

One of his best finishes as a senior in the decathlon. And then 10 days later we went and competed. The Commonwealth games in the UK. And he finished third there, which was an incredible effort considering it was only 10 days in between. So firstly, just to do one decathlon is pretty tough and to do two is pretty amazing.

Today's article review is perfect for to highlight how BFR can assist with anyone who has had quite an "extreme" injury and struggled to get back to some level of normal function. In particular such injuries typically result in significant loss of muscular strength and size. This articles reports on 7 different cases and highlights what kind of improvements can be achieved in a short period of time.

The article is:

Blood flow restriction rehabilitation for extremity weakness: a case series.

J Spec Oper Med, 15(1), 50-56. Hylden, C., Burns, T., Stinner, D., & Owens, J. (2015). 

 

I hope you enjoy this episode.

If you are looking to get into blood flow restriction training please visit our website which is www.thebfr.co  where there's lots of information, free resources and you can also purchase your own set of BFR cuffs.

You can also catch us on:

• Instagram - @thebfr.co 
• Twitter - @thebfr_co
• YouTube - The BFR. co

If you do want to get into blood flow restriction, you can purchase your cuffs there as well. Thanks for listening. See you in a couple of weeks and remember to keep the pump.

Chris

Jacqui Narracott - Olympian, Medal Winning & Champion Skeleton Athlete

Welcome to Episode 50 of BFR Radio. And what a way to celebrate this milestone with Winter Olympian, Jacqui Narracott who won Silver at the recent Beijing Olympics for Skeleton.

I've been Jacqui's strength coach for over 7 years and it's been an honour to see her awesome achievements - especially in the last year. This is a great episode and we discuss quite a lot. In particular we focus on the period of time after her first Olympics and leading into her second and most recent Winter Olympics in Beijing. Aside from just BFR -related training we go through quite a bit. In particular:

• Reliving Beijing - enjoying the moment & having fun.
• Her team and how it worked with everyone living all around the world.
• How 2 months out from the Olympics, she injured herself and it nearly derailed her campaign.
• Dealing with COVID - lots of training, travel and competitions stories here.

This is a real behind the scenes podcast. So if you're a fan of Jacqui and want to hear some never before heard stories in the lead up to the Olympics this is a podcast not to miss. And yes, there are some new ways we used BFR as well so something for everyone.

I hope you enjoy this one. 

 

Testosterone & BFR - how to maximise your hormonal response.

Welcome back to BFR Radio.

Thanks for your patience in between episodes – I’ve just realized its been a couple of months since the last episode. In short, I’ve devoted pretty much most of my spare time and energy to the launch of my new website and rebranding. In case, you’re unaware, I’ve rebranded to TheBFR.co. My goal with TheBFR.co (or The BFR company) is to have a one-stop shop for all things BFR. So I still have my BFR cuffs – they are still branded as the sports rehab tourniquet but slowly over time (or once I renew my stock), they will be rebrand with my new logo. So make sure you check out my website - click here.

There are a few new exciting additions to the website including online BFR training and rehab programs and an online BFR course for those who want to learn more about how to apply BFR to their athletes/clients.

 

The last few episodes focused on hormones & BFR. The first 2 episodes looked at Growth Hormone & Insulin – Growth Factor 1 (or IGF-1). Not only do these hormones have a performance benefit, but they also are critical for proper development and function of many major organ systems. Today’s episode will focus on one a the more well-known hormones and that is Tesosterone

 

The majority of this information comes from a paper called:

Acute and Chronic Testosterone Response to Blood Flow Restricted Exercise and appeared in the journal of Hormone & Metabolic Research

The primary author is Jeremy Loenneke who is one of the more prolific authors in the world of BFR. I will also add to the discussion with a few interesting papers including a case study that I have done with an elite athlete that I  used to coach.

before I go, a couple of favours from me to you:

If you know of someone who would benefit from this episode, please share it. And, if you’re enjoying the podcast please give it a rating on iTunes

Thanks for listening, see you in a couple of weeks and remember to keep the pump.

 

Chris

Hormones & BFR - Insulin Growth Factor 1. What is it? Why is it important and how BFR can help.

Welcome back to BFR Radio and this short mini-series on hormones & BFR.

In particular one of the mechanisms as to how & why BFR works is the increase in acute anabolic hormones. Since we talk about, I thought I’d go into a little more detail about each hormone, why it is important and the types of BFR sessions that are associated with increases in these anabolic hormones.

The general flow of these episodes is to summarise the importance of these hormones, mechanisms behind how it gets activated and how BFR can be used to activate these useful hormones.

The last episode looked at Growth Hormone and today's episode we look at Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1). Although the more known action of IGF-1 is to stimulate protein synthesis (muscle growth), it is both GH & IGF-1 that is proposed to act in concert to stimulate protein synthesis.

There are other important functions of IGF-1 signalling and in particular, they are both critical for proper development and function of many major organ systems.  There is very strong evidence for neuroprotective effects of IGF-1 in different situations, including aging.

As I delved deeper into why IGF-1 is important to us, I started to realise that it was more about increasing muscle size but rather the positive effects as we age. In particular the role that it plays in cognitive function, learning and memory tasks.

So although we typically see BFR as a way to increase muscle mass and strength, for ageing populations incorporating BFR into physical activity has implications that go beyond this. I go through a couple of studies and in particular one involves a 91-year old gentleman with sarcopenia. Its a simple study, but the outcomes are pretty amazing.

I bring in quite a few papers for this episode and probably a few too many to mention.

The papers from the studies though are:

Endocrine responses to upper-and lower-limb resistance exercises with blood flow restriction. 

Madarame et al. (2010). Acta Physiologica Hungarica

Strength training with blood flow restriction–a novel therapeutic approach for older adults with sarcopenia? A case report. 

Lopes et al.   (2019) Clinical interventions in aging

 

If this review of hormones and BFR training, has sparked your own interest in starting an exercise regime, get in touch with me through my website or socials (@chrisgaviglio). The sports rehab tourniquet brand of BFR cuffs can also be purchase from my website and you can find it at sportsrehab.com.au

And lastly, before I go, a couple of favours from me to you:

If you know of someone who would benefit from this episode, please share it. And, if you’re enjoying the podcast please give it a rating on iTunes

Thanks for listening, see you in a couple of weeks  and remember to keep the pump.

Chris