Combined low intensity blood flow restriction and high intensity half squat training improves lower limb force development in adolescent wrestlers

Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) has attracted attention due to its advantages in muscle strength enhancement. This paper investigates the effects of different training programs on teenage female wrestlers' lower limb strength. Twenty-four teenage female wrestlers were recruited and randomly divided into three groups, namely the blood flow restriction training group (BFRT group), the regular group (HST group), and the combined group (BFRT-HST group). The BFRT group performed low-intensity blood flow restriction half-squat training (LI-BFR-HST), the HST group performed high-intensity half-squat training (HI-HST), while the BFRT-HST group performed LI-BFR-HST twice per week and HI-HST once per week (LI-BFR-HST & HI-HST). The intervention training was implemented three times a week for six weeks. The changes of knee joint peak torque, vertical jump height, and peak rate of force development (PRFD) were compared. The results showed significant improvements (p < 0.05) within each group: (1) BFRT-HST group: The peak torque (omega = 180 degrees/s) of right knee extension and left knee flexion significantly increased; both squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ) heights, and PRFD during SJ and CMJ significantly increased.(2) BFRT group: The SJ height and PRFD during SJ significantly increased.(3) HST group: The CMJ height and PRFD during CMJ significantly increased.The results suggest that the LI-BFR-HST & HI-HST combined training strategy effectively improves the rate of force development in teenage female wrestlers' lower limbs.