Zhang et al. 2025, Blood flow restriction training and aerobic capacity in endurance athletes

This 20-study meta-analysis (n = 407 endurance athletes) found that blood flow restriction training produced moderate improvements in VO₂max (ES = 0.47, 95% CI 0.22–0.71) and endurance performance (ES = 0.69, 95% CI 0.25–1.14) compared with identical training without restriction. The findings extend the established rehabilitation case for BFR by showing it can also preserve or improve aerobic fitness when heavy loading or high volume is unavailable. Moderate.