KAATSU Training:Interpretation and Applications

KAATSU training is a new method involving compressing venous to reduce blood flow or to block blood flow intermittently, which leads to muscle growth and muscle fitness im- provement even when performed at relatively lower intensities.By reviewing practice methods, scientific principles and mechanisms of KAATSU training, the authors systematically reviewed advantages and inadequacies of researches in physical fitness, sports, rehabilitation medicine and aerospace field.The results show that 1) KAATSU training can be used as complementary means of high-intensity resistance training, and can effectively promote muscular fitness, pre- vent muscle atrophy, alleviate muscle strength decline and improve bone health.2) KAATSU training may have a benefit effect on injury rehabilitation, but not sure is helpful to improve the elite athletes' performance.3) KAATSU training might be a new exertion means to preventing physiological effect of weightlessness for astronauts, but it is lack of strong experimental evi- dence.Thus, future researches should be focused on building the training dose-fitness benefits response relationships, in order to establish the clinical application of standards, carry out lon- gitudinal study to evaluate the application efficiency and security, explore the mechanism, and strengthen its scientific basis.