BFR Radio

Using BFR to Recover from ACL Reconstruction Faster - Part 3

Listen

Description

In this episode of BFR Radio, we complete the three-part ACL rehabilitation series by exploring how Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) can be applied during Phase 3 and Phase 4 of the Melbourne ACL Rehabilitation Guide.

Phase 3 and Phase 4 mark a critical transition point in ACL rehabilitation. Athletes are no longer simply rebuilding strength — they are required to express strength under speed, fatigue, and sport-specific complexity. The challenge becomes managing training load while restoring confidence, robustness, and performance readiness.

This episode examines how BFR can evolve from an early-stage rehabilitation tool into a performance and load-management strategy, supporting:

Six key intervention studies are reviewed to illustrate how BFR can be integrated strategically across late-stage rehabilitation and return-to-sport preparation. 

If you're working with athletes coming back from ACL reconstruction, my suggestion is to think less about when BFR stops and more about how its role changes across the rehab to performance continuum.

 

I hope you enjoyed this 3-part series. 

 

As always, thanks for listening, and remember to keep the pump!

 

Chris

📚 Studies Discussed (APA References)

  1. Jung, W. S., et al., (2022). Effects of rehabilitation exercise with blood flow restriction after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Applied Sciences, 12(23), 12058.
  2. Sousa J, et al., (2016)  Effects of strength training with blood flow restriction on torque, muscle activation and local muscular endurance in healthy subjects. Biol Sport; 34(1):83-90.
  3. Centner C, et al., (1985). Low-load blood flow restriction training induces similar morphological and mechanical Achilles tendon adaptations compared with high-load resistance training. J Appl Physiol; 127(6):1660-1667.
  4. Chen YT et al., (2022). Running Training Combined With Blood Flow Restriction Increases Cardiopulmonary Function and Muscle Strength in Endurance Athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 36(5):1228-1237.
  5. Cook CJ, et al (2014). Improving strength and power in trained athletes with 3 weeks of occlusion training. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 9(1):166-72.
  6. Liu, H., et al. (2025). Blood flow restriction during small-sided games enhances physiological adaptations and performance improvements in well-trained basketball players: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Sports Sciences, 1-15.