Objective This study compared the effect of exercise during full, partial (intermittent) and no BFR on pain and muscular endurance. Design Within-subject repeated measures cross-over study comparing full BFR (200 mmHg), partial BFR (100 mmHg) and no (control) BFR during hand-grip exercises of a bulb dynamometer (60 per minute) at 30% of their one-repetition maximum of grip strength. Setting Laboratory. Participants 20 student volunteers (male = 14, age = 22-29 years). Main outcome measures Time to exhaustion and pain perception at minute intervals during handgrip exercises. Results There were fewer (77.0 ± 34.7) handgrip exercise repetitions during full BFR compared with partial BFR (125.1 ± 37.7, p < 0.001) and fewer repetitions for partial BFR compared with no BFR (147.6 ± 11.3 repetitions, p = 0.026). Pain intensity was higher for full BFR compared with partial BFR (p = 0.045) and higher for partial BFR compared with no BFR (p < 0.001). Participants selected more total, sensory and affective pain descriptors of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire during full BFR compared with partial BFR and no BFR. Conclusion Full BFR produced severe exercise-induced pain so partial BFR may be a more acceptable training and rehabilitation aid
