{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T18:15:21Z","timestamp":1783448121452,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783382400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Nanjing Normal University\u2019s","award":["Project Number: 2026NSDJG027"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project Number: 2026NSDJG027"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examined the acute effects of high-load resistance training and low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction on sprint ability, pennation angle and lower limb muscle stiffness. A randomized crossover trial was conducted in 17 collegiate male sprinters. Four intervention conditions were applied: high-load (90% 1RM hip thrust [HT] or half-squat [HS]) and low-load (30% 1RM HT or HS with blood flow restriction [BFR]) protocols. Muscle\u2013tendon stiffness, pennation angle, and 20-m sprint performance were assessed at 5 minutes post-intervention. The results showed that statistically significant differences were observed among interventions (p\u2009&lt;\u20090.05). Regarding sprint performance, the 30% HT\u2009+\u2009BFR significantly improved 0-20m sprint time, whereas the 30% HS\u2009+\u2009BFR significantly improved 10-20m sprint time compared to high-load conditions. In terms of muscle architecture, both 30% HS\u2009+\u2009BFR and 90% HS conditions elicited a significant decrease in the pennation angle of the rectus femoris. Moreover, muscle-tendon stiffness generally increased following conditioning activities; notably, the 30% HT\u2009+\u2009BFR condition increased rectus femoris stiffness, while the 30% HS\u2009+\u2009BFR condition significantly increased stiffness in the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon compared to other interventions or baseline. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that low-load resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction produces greater acute improvements in sprint performance in male sprinters than high-load training, accompanied by reductions in pennation angle and increases in muscle-tendon stiffness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0353131","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T17:28:01Z","timestamp":1783445281000},"page":"e0353131","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Acute effects of high load vs. low load combined with blood flow restriction on explosive performance and muscle-tendon unit mechanical 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