In adults with stage 3 CKD, 12 weeks of low-load muscle strength training with blood flow restriction was not associated with severe adverse effects on serum creatinine, cystatin C, eGFR, or urinary creatinine and microalbuminuria, but it may significantly increase albuminuria levels.
Low-load strength training combined with blood flow restriction (Group 4) was associated with a significant increase in albuminuria within the group.
Between-group differences in serum creatinine were found for the MST+BFR group compared with the control group and the low-load MST group.
Estimated GFR based on creatinine (eGFR-Cr) differed significantly between the MST+BFR group and the low-load MST group.
MST+BFR was not associated with severe adverse effects on most glomerular function markers.
The study enrolled 40 people with CKD stage 3 in a randomized trial with four arms, and the sample had a high burden of comorbidities and low physical activity.
This study looked at whether strength training done with blood flow restriction (BFR) — using cuffs to partly limit blood flow to the working muscles so that light weights give a strong training effect — is safe for the kidneys of people with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Forty people were randomly assigned to one of four groups: no exercise, light-weight training, heavy-weight training, or light-weight training with BFR. They trained three times a week for 12 weeks, and the researchers measured blood and urine markers of kidney function. Overall, the BFR training was not linked to severe harmful changes in the main markers of kidney filtration (creatinine, cystatin C, estimated filtration rate) or in urinary creatinine and microalbumin. However, the BFR group did show a statistically significant rise in albuminuria (protein leaking into the urine), and its creatinine and estimated filtration values differed from those of some other groups. Albumin in urine is a possible sign of kidney stress, so this finding may call for caution. This research suggests that BFR training may be feasible in this population without severe effects on kidney filtration, but the increase in urinary albumin needs further investigation. The study was small (40 people), so larger and longer studies would be needed to understand whether the albumin increase is temporary or meaningful for long-term kidney health.
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Upload Your LabsCaetano A, Oliveira J, Silva A, Cabral Junior C, Cavalcante M, Cirilo-Sousa M. (2026). Effects of muscle strength training with blood flow restriction on glomerular function in people with stage 3 chronic kidney disease.. Jornal brasileiro de nefrologia. https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-8239-JBN-2026-0061en