The Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Pressure on Acute and 24-Hour Recovery Following Upper-Limb Repeated High-Intensity Exercise in Boxers

PURPOSE To investigate the acute and 24-hour effects of different blood flow restriction (BFR) pressures on recovery following a single session of boxing-specific repeated high-intensity exercise. METHODS Fifteen boxers performed the exercise under four randomly ordered conditions: non-BFR, and BFR at 40%, 60%, and 80% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP). Heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BLA), muscle oxygen saturation (SmO ₂ ), punching speed, and force were measured at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at 5 minutes, 20 minutes, and 24 hours post-exercise. Statistical significance was set at p  < 0.05. RESULTS The 80% AOP condition elicited significantly higher HR and slower HR recovery (% baseline) compared to other conditions immediately post-exercise and at 5 minutes and 20 minutes post-exercise (p < 0.001). BLA concentrations were significantly lower under all BFR conditions than non-BFR throughout recovery ( p  < 0.001), with the lowest values observed at 80% AOP, which also exhibited the highest lactate clearance rate at 20 minutes post-exercise. SmO ₂ recovery slowed progressively with increasing BFR pressure ( p  < 0.001). Punching performance decreased immediately post-exercise in a pressure-dependent manner ( p  < 0.001), with performance at 80% AOP remaining impaired at 24 hours. CONCLUSION BFR alters post-exercise physiological responses and impairs punching performance, with effects magnified at 80% AOP. Pressures of 40–60% AOP may offer an optimal balance between physiological stimulus and performance recovery. Therefore, BFR at high pressures should be avoided within 24 hours prior to competition.