The Study
Low-Load Resistance Exercise With Blood Flow Restriction Versus High-Load Resistance Exercise on Hamstring Muscle Adaptations in Recreationally Trained Men
This study compared two kinds of leg workouts and found that both made people's hamstrings stronger and thicker in about the same way. But it doesn't prove one causes the change better than the other—it just shows they ended up looking and feeling similar.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if using light weights with tight bands around the legs could make your hamstrings grow and get stronger just like using heavy weights.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — people who can't lift heavy (due to injury, rehab, or preference) can still build strong, thick hamstrings using light weights and blood flow restriction.
- 2Both groups — one using light weights with bands (30% max) and one using heavy weights (70% max) — saw similar increases in muscle size, stiffness, and strength after 6 weeks of training.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2024
Authors
Okan Kamiş, V. V. Gürses, H. Şendur, Mustafa Altunsoy, H. Pekel, Erkan Yıldırım, Latif Aydos
Related Content
Claims (6)
When lifting weights with enough effort, muscle growth is similar whether you use heavy weights for few reps or lighter weights for many reps, as long as the effort is high.
In recreationally trained men, six weeks of light resistance training with blood flow restriction increases hamstring muscle thickness, stiffness, and strength to the same degree as six weeks of heavy resistance training.
Using blood flow restriction at 60% of limb occlusion pressure during light resistance training does not reduce muscle growth or strength gains in the hamstrings of recreationally trained men.
In recreationally trained men, low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction produces the same muscle adaptations as high-load resistance training, even though the amount of weight lifted and the mechanical tension differ.
In recreationally trained men, six weeks of low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction increases the thickness and stiffness of the hamstring muscles.
In recreationally trained men, two different types of weight training—lifting heavy weights and lifting light weights while restricting blood flow to the muscles—both lead to measurable increases in hamstring strength after six weeks.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.