Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41044340›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2025

Effects of blood flow restriction combined with electrical stimulation on muscle functions and performance in university football players with knee osteoarthritis.

Jinfeng Yang, Na Li, Sheng He, Xiao Peng, Jinqi Yang, Jianxin Chen, Yan Zheng, Yunyan Zou, Yuanpeng Liao

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jinfeng YangDepartment of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
Na LiNational Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics Diseases, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610093, Sichuan, China.
Sheng HeDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, 610083, Sichuan, China.
Xiao PengDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, No. 1 Orthopedic Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610073, Sichuan, China.
Jinqi YangDepartment of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
Jianxin ChenDepartment of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
Yan ZhengDepartment of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
Yunyan ZouDepartment of Physical Education, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
Yuanpeng LiaoAffiliated Hospital of Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China. liaoyuanpeng@cdsu.edu.cn.

Funding

Chengdu Sport University SCZJJCC-16
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combining blood flow restriction training (BFRT) with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) on muscle functions and sports performance in football players with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted on 64 football players diagnosed with KOA at Chengdu Sport University. Participants were enrolled based on predefined eligibility criteria and randomly allocated to four groups: the control group (CTR, n = 16), BFRT-alone group (BFRT, n = 16), EMS-alone group (EMS, n = 16), and BFRT combined with EMS group (CMB, n = 16). Data were gathered via the 10-meter sprint, 20-meter sprint, countermovement jump (CMJ), and Illinois agility test (IAT) to assess sports performance. Additionally, peak torque (PT) was used to measure muscle strength, the root mean square (RMS) was used to assess muscle activation, and the cross-sectional area (CSA) was used to evaluate muscle volume. The data were statistically analyzed via SPSS software, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Following the 8-week intervention, the CMB group showed a more pronounced change in the 10-m sprint compared to the CTR group (p < 0.001) and exhibited significant differences in the 20-m sprint (CTR: p < 0.001, BFRT: p = 0.015, EMS: p < 0.001), CMJ (CTR: p < 0.001, BFRT: p = 0.019, EMS: p < 0.001), and IAT (CTR: p < 0.001, BFRT: p = 0.009, EMS: p = 0.018), outperforming the other three groups. To PT, the CMB groups demonstrated significant superiority over the other three groups (CTR: p < 0.001, BFRT: p < 0.001, EMS: p < 0.001), while the BFRT group exhibited a notable difference in PT than the EMS group (p = 0.032). Concerning RMS, the EMS and CMB groups showed significant differences from the CTR (EMS: p < 0.001, CMB: p < 0.001) and BFRT (EMS: p = 0.019, CMB: p < 0.001) groups, whereas the change in the BFRT group was more significant than that in the CTR group (p = 0.007). For CSA, the BFRT and CMB groups presented notable differences from the CTR (BFRT: p = 0.008, CMB: p = 0.002)and EMS (BFRT: p = 0.014, CMB: p = 0.004) groups. In summary, the results suggest that BFRT combined with EMS can increase muscle strength in male football players with KOA through improving muscle volume and neuromuscular recruitment under low-intensity resistance training, thereby increasing explosive power and agility.

Indexed as

Athletic PerformanceBlood Flow Restriction TherapyMuscle, SkeletalOsteoarthritis, KneeAdultAthletesElectric StimulationHumansMaleMuscle StrengthUniversitiesBlood flow restrictionElectrical muscle stimulationFootballKnee osteoarthritisMuscle functionsSports performance

Identifiers

PMID41044340
PMCPMC12494906

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.