Three ways to organize the same exercise
The participants performed three low-load single-leg extension protocols with blood flow restriction. The intensity corresponded to 30% of their maximal voluntary isometric contraction. This is therefore not a percentage of the maximum weight lifted for one repetition.
The researchers compared a 75-repetition protocol, split into one set of 30 followed by three sets of 15, a protocol of three sets to failure, and a protocol of a single set to failure. No protocol without blood flow restriction is described in the abstract.
Before and after exercise, they assessed muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, and echo intensity in the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis, two quadriceps muscles. They also recorded perceived effort.
Three sets to failure feel more demanding
The authors report no statistically significant difference between protocols for the muscle measurements studied. They describe comparable immediate changes. However, the absence of a detected difference does not demonstrate that the protocols are strictly equivalent.
After the final set, perceived effort was higher with three sets to failure: an average of 8.94 arbitrary units, compared with 8.02 for a single set to failure and 8.05 for the 75 repetitions. The abstract does not specify the scale used: these values should not be presented as scores out of ten.
An immediate response does not predict long-term gains
This comparison suggests that a single set to failure may produce an immediate muscle size response comparable to that of the other protocols, with less perceived effort than three sets to failure. It does not show that one set is enough to achieve the same strength or hypertrophy gains over several weeks.
The practical scope remains narrow: the study involves 19 women, one specific exercise, and measurements taken before and after a session. The abstract does not provide the information needed to assess the safety of the protocols or recommend a blood flow restriction setting.
Limitations to keep in mind
Only the Europe PMC abstract was consulted, not the full text. The small sample, exclusively female population, and acute assessment limit generalizability. Adverse effects, funding, and conflicts of interest have not been verified in the dossier.
What we can take away
These data distinguish perceived effort from the immediate muscle response. They do not allow us to identify the best protocol for lasting muscle growth.
Sources and provenance
- Similar acute increases in muscle size, but discrete perceptual responses to low-load blood flow restriction protocols.
Source date: 2026-11-01.
Randomized Controlled Trial, Journal Article · Résumé Europe PMC uniquement, texte intégral non consulté