Effects of LICT-BFR on cardiopulmonary fitness and immune function in youth

Cardiopulmonary fitness (CRF) is on the decline among youth. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a low-intensity serial blood flow restriction training exercise protocol on CRF and body composition indices in youth. It also aimed to reveal changes in immune status following low-intensity continuous training exercise in adolescents, shedding light on the regulation of human immunity by exercise. We recruited 50 non-smoking, healthy, and non-exercising young volunteers and randomly divided them into a low-intensity continuous training group (LICT-BFR, n = 25) and a no-exercise Control group ( n = 25), with the experimental intervention lasting for ten weeks. Physical function was assessed before and after the intervention. Peripheral blood leukocytes were analyzed for microRNA (miRNA) using Agilent human microRNA 2.0 and genetic software. MiRNA quantification was conducted through reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Flow cytometry was used to measure the percentage of various lymphocytes. The results showed that maximum oxygen uptake ( V O 2 max, p