Once only used as a rehabilitation tool, BFR has increased as understanding of its performance-related benefits has grown and is now widely used across a spectrum of sports performance and recovery.

This enhanced understanding has given rise to the overarching concept of “Performance BFR.” This term encapsulates key advantages, such as heightened exercise preparedness, improved training adaptations, effective pain modulation, and expedited recovery.

Depending on whether you apply BFR before, during or after exercise you can dramatically improve how you Prepare, Train and Recover.    

• Preparation BFR during your normal pre-exercise warm ups and stretches, will accelerate warming and improve elasticity of joints & muscles; driving blood into structural tissues more effectively, to better prepare tendons and ligaments for high intensity exercise. 
• BFR Training involves performing low intensity or low load exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) applied which increases muscle fibre activation, and drives adaptations similar to those seen when performing high intensity or heavy loaded exercise, all while using light loads. 
• Recovery BFR during either a prescribed active or passive recovery activity causes significant swelling in the muscles which drives the production of recovery hormone. When the BFR stimulus is removed, the pressure build up is released which causes a powerful flush of blood, removing inflammation and waste materials from the muscles and joints. 

The benefits of using BFR are vast, and ever day through our Athletes and Research we are finding new ways optimise human performance. Just some of the key advantages are listed below:

Time Saving: 

• Because of the added stress of occlusion, you reach failure and fatigue, much faster than you went under the same conditions without BFR. 

Managing Training load/volume: 

• Training with BFR, lets you build muscle with less weight, saving your joints and letting you workout effectively even when fatigued. 

Training/Recovery on the move: 

• Away from home, there’s often limited access to weights and recovery tools, Hytro BFR allows you to maximise the effects of recovery and resistance stimulus anywhere and at any time thanks to their portable and light weight wearable BFR solutions.

 Before Exercise (Preparation)  

• Improved elasticity of joints & warming of muscle tissues compared to stretching alone, thereby reducing injury risk  
• BFR has a pain relieving effect, particularly for tendon issues and muscle soreness.  
• Up to 38% reduction in joint pain

During Exercise (BFR Training) 

• Increases muscle size, strength, and power much faster than conventional training alone and with less equipment 
• In-season performance gains without impacting recovery (i.e. day before competition) 

After Exercise (Recovery BFR)  

• Start recovery immediately post exercise, any time, anywhere 
• Increased production of recovery hormones and faster removal of lactic acid and waste materials 
• Enhances the benefits of Ice baths, saunas, and contrast bathing 

Hytro is the only BFR device that has been validated as safe to use without supervision (Neal et al 2023), making it the most versatile, scalable, and transportable BFR solution on the market

Users must read the warnings and know the correct techniques before starting BFR training. More information can be found in our BFR Safety Guide