Abstract
ABSTRACT
Inter‐set blood‐flow restriction (BFR) may increase the physiological stimulus of repeated‐sprint exercise without compromising mechanical output, but evidence in trained athletes is limited. In a randomized crossover design, 26 national‐level male badminton players completed three 5 × 5‐s cycling sprints (25‐s intra‐set rest, 3.5‐min inter‐set recovery). During the first two recoveries, cuffs were inflated to 130 mmHg (BFR) or 20 mmHg (sham‐BFR). Outcomes included power output,
vastus lateralis
muscle oxygenation (SmO
2
), heart rate, exercise‐related sensations, and vertical jump. Mean and peak power declined across sets with no condition or interaction effects. Sprint decrement scores showed no differences. Muscle oxygenation kinetics revealed time and condition × time effects: recovery SmO
2
was lower with BFR during the first two inter‐set recoveries (Δ = 16.04 and 15.50 pp;
p
≤ 0.05), whereas this difference reversed during the non‐occluded third recovery (Δ = −6.00;
p
= 0.010). Early SmO
2
resaturation slopes (0–30 s) were slower with BFR in recoveries 1–2 (Δ = +0.250 and + 0.209 pp/s;
p
p
p
= 0.093). Inter‐set BFR increased peripheral physiological and perceptual stress and altered muscle oxygenation recovery without compromising repeated‐sprint mechanical performance or cardiovascular responses. This strategy may provide a practical method to enhance training stress in trained athletes, although greater post‐exercise reductions in jump performance suggest potential neuromuscular fatigue.