The goal of this clinical trial is to compare how the body's nervous system responds to two different types of leg exercise in young and older adults. One type is low-intensity exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) , where a cuff partially reduces blood flow to the legs during exercise. The other type is traditional high-intensity resistance training (HIRT), which uses heavier weights.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does low-intensity exercise with BFR cause less stress on the nervous system during exercise compared to high-intensity training? Does low-intensity exercise with BFR lead to faster recovery of the nervous system after exercise compared to high-intensity training? Do these responses differ between young adults and older adults? Researchers will compare low-intensity exercise with BFR to high-intensity training to see which approach is gentler on the nervous system during and after exercise.
Participants will:
Attend three visits to the research lab Complete a strength test on leg exercise machines Perform two separate exercise sessions: one with low-intensity exercise and BFR, and one with high-intensity training Have their heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability monitored continuously during and after each exercise session