When using a thinner cuff to restrict blood flow during exercise, muscles swell more in absolute size than with a thicker cuff, but when you account for how big the muscle was to start with, both cuffs cause about the same amount of swelling.
Scientific Claim
Narrower blood flow restriction cuffs (0.52 cm) are associated with greater absolute muscle swelling than wider cuffs (0.60 cm) during blood flow-restricted exercise, but percentage changes in swelling do not differ between cuff widths.
Original Statement
“In Experiment 1 (n = 96), men swelled more than women and more with a narrow cuff than a wide cuff (0.60 cm vs. 0.52 cm). Expressed as a percentage change, there were no longer differences between cuffs (Narrow: 15% vs. Wide: 14%)...”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study design is observational with no randomization or control group; the claim implies a causal effect of cuff width, but only an association is supported by the data.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Smaller cuffs made muscles swell more in absolute size, but when you look at how much they swelled relative to their starting size, both small and large cuffs caused about the same percentage increase.