The Effect of Six Weeks of Resistance Training With and Without Blood Flow Restriction Combined With Creatine Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Anaerobic Power in Female Students

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of six weeks of resistance training with and without blood flow restriction (BFR), combined with creatine supplementation, on muscular endurance and anaerobic power in female university students. The study population consisted of women aged 20–25 years from Lorestan Province. Following a public recruitment announcement, 26 eligible participants with 6–12 months of regular resistance training experience were selected using purposive sampling. Participants were randomly assigned to either a resistance training plus creatine supplementation group (n = 13) or a blood flow restriction (BFR) resistance training plus creatine supplementation group (n = 13). All participants completed the intervention, and the final analysis was performed on all 26 individuals. The training program consisted of three supervised sessions per week for six weeks, with controlled training intensity and volume, incorporating multi-joint exercises targeting both the upper and lower limbs. Creatine monohydrate supplementation was administered for 42 days, including a 5-day loading phase (20 g/day) followed by a 37-day maintenance phase (5 g/day). Muscular endurance was assessed using the sit-up-to-fatigue test, while anaerobic power was evaluated using the Sargent vertical jump test at baseline and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests with the significance level set at P ≤ 0.05.

The results showed no significant between-group differences in changes in muscular endurance (P = 0.222) or anaerobic power (P = 0.120). Therefore, the findings of this study provide no evidence that blood flow restriction resistance training combined with creatine supplementation is superior to conventional resistance training combined with creatine supplementation in improving these performance outcomes. Nevertheless, further studies with larger sample sizes and longer intervention durations are warranted to determine whether more subtle or long-term differences between these training approaches may emerge.