In young male collegiate table tennis athletes, 8 weeks of high-load resistance training or low-load blood flow restriction training results in greater increases in quadriceps muscle size and explosive lower-limb performance compared to no additional resistance training.

When people lift light weights with bands that squeeze the thigh and limit blood flow, the muscle quickly runs out of oxygen and builds up waste chemicals. This forces the body to use its strongest muscle fibers, which are usually only activated during heavy lifting. These fibers grow bigger over time, and because they’re the ones that produce fast, powerful movements, jumping and sprinting get better. Heavy lifting does something similar but through direct force — it also recruits those strong fibers and makes them more efficient at firing quickly.