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Let's talk about sex: where are the young females in blood flow restriction research?
Author(s) -
Counts Brittany R.,
Rossow Lindy M.,
Mattocks Kevin T.,
Mouser J. Grant,
Jessee Matthew B.,
Buckner Samuel L.,
Dankel Scott J.,
Loenneke Jeremy P.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
clinical physiology and functional imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-097X
pISSN - 1475-0961
DOI - 10.1111/cpf.12394
Subject(s) - medicine , blood flow restriction , resistance training , menstrual cycle , sex characteristics , young adult , physiology , demography , hormone , sociology
Summary Low‐load resistance exercise with the blood flow restriction ( BFR ) has been shown to increase muscle size similar to that of traditional high‐load resistance training. Throughout the BFR literature, there is a vast difference between the quantity of young females included in the literature compared to young males, older males and older females. Therefore, the purpose of this minireview is to discuss the underrepresentation of young females in the BFR literature and review the potential physiologic reasons as to why they may have been excluded. In conclusion, the female menstrual cycle, a normal physiological occurrence, is presumably the reason as to why majority of young females are excluded from participation in BFR studies. Instead of excluding females, we recommend that BFR studies should include both sexes and plot the results separately to determine whether a sex difference exists.