Strength training is well known for its benefits: it builds muscles, helps control blood sugar levels, and lowers the risk of heart disease.
But for many people—especially those who are older, overweight, or have low physical fitness—lifting heavy weights can be difficult or even impossible.
To build muscle, you usually need to lift about 70% of your maximum strength, which many people underestimate or can’t manage safely.
That’s where a method called Blood Flow Restriction Training, or BFRT, can help.
BFRT is already used in some rehabilitation centers, competitive sports, physical therapy, and a few gyms. It works by placing inflatable cuffs around the thighs, similar to a blood pressure cuff.
These cuffs block the return flow of blood from the legs and reduce incoming blood flow by up to 80%. Training is then done using very light weights—just 30% of a person’s maximum strength.
Even though the weights are light, BFRT still triggers powerful training effects. The body starts to make changes that normally only happen when lifting much heavier weights. But until now, scientists didn’t know how BFRT would work for people with type 2 diabetes.
In a new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers at the German Diabetes Center tested BFRT with 20 people who had type 2 diabetes. They divided them into two groups. One group did BFRT three times a week for 12 weeks. The other group did regular strength training.
At the end of the study, both groups had stronger muscles, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and less body fat. But there was one big difference: the BFRT group lost more visceral fat—the fat around the internal organs in the belly. Regular strength training mostly reduced fat under the skin.
This matters because visceral fat is harmful. It sends fatty acids and inflammatory chemicals into the bloodstream. According to Professor Michael Roden, director at the German Diabetes Center and Düsseldorf University Hospital, this kind of fat can lead to insulin resistance, make blood sugar harder to control, and raise the risk of heart problems.
Reducing this type of fat is especially important for managing diabetes, and BFRT appears to target it well.
The study also found that BFRT helped the body’s mitochondria—the tiny energy factories inside cells—work better. With more and stronger mitochondria, the muscles and fat cells can process glucose and fat more effectively. This means better metabolism overall.
BFRT also encouraged the body to grow new small blood vessels in the muscles, which improves circulation. With better blood flow, muscles get more oxygen and nutrients, which helps them take in more sugar from the blood and turn it into energy.
Dr. Nina Trinks, a researcher at the Institute of Clinical Diabetology at the DDZ, said many of the study’s participants noticed they had more energy and strength in their daily lives. Over half of them even signed up for a gym membership after the study, showing just how helpful and motivating this training was for them.
In summary, BFRT is a promising, low-impact way to get the benefits of strength training—especially for people with type 2 diabetes who can’t manage heavy lifting. It can improve metabolism, lower harmful belly fat, boost blood circulation, and help people feel stronger in daily life.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about diabetes and vitamin B12, and the right diet for people with type 2 diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to eat smart with diabetes, and turmeric and vitamin D: a duo for blood pressure control in diabetic patients.
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