Scar tissue is not bad. You need scar tissue. If something is torn, it has to be scarred over. The problem is what people do after they hear a concept like hypoxia. They start collecting methods, then they apply those methods with random instructions for how the tissue should be remodeled.
That is how you get really, really jacked up.
5 minute read · Hypoxia · Scar tissue · Tissue remodeling · Blood flow restriction · Moxy NIRS
The trigger: what hypoxia actually is doing
Under any and all circumstances, there is a cascade that is always happening, and then has to happen.
The first step in the stress process is the brain identifying the partial pressure of oxygen. When there is a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen, the cogs and sprockets start moving to transcribe messenger RNA. That is the blueprint tied to remodeling in the area of hypoxia.
So yes, hypoxia matters.
But hypoxia is not a plan. It is a trigger.
Scar tissue is not the enemy
People talk about scar tissue like it is the villain. It is not.
Scar tissue is part of the solution. If something is torn, it has to be scarred over. The real question is what constraints you pair with the trigger, because tissue remodels based on the instructions it receives.
This is also why certain “martial arts-type” mobility can look the way it looks. High levels of tension can create temporary hypoxia. Once you get into the position, you tend to get about 15 degrees give or take from an isometric. Hypoxia can be part of what sets the table.
The issue is not whether hypoxia “works.” The issue is whether you are telling the tissue what to become while you create it.
The common mistake: same trigger, random instruction
If you train without oxygen in a significant way, you can trigger the same mRNA process.
If you are doing so with random instruction of how the tissue should be remodeled, you are going to get something. It might not be what you wanted. That is how people get really, really jacked up.
This is where a lot of programs go wrong. They chase the sensation of hypoxia, the fatigue, the pump, the burn, the suffering, whatever you want to call it, and they assume the result will be “better tissue” or “better performance.”
Nothing in training is free.
Local hypoxia vs systemic hypoxia
Localized hypoxia at the tissue level is not the same as global systemic hypoxia, meaning being in a hypoxic environment.
Totally. That is probably not the same.
Partial pressure of oxygen at the tissue level is not necessarily what you are going to measure from general markers. If you want greater precision, you use near-infrared spectrometry.
That is where a device like Moxy fits.
A useful way to think about it is simple. NIRS devices help answer questions like:
- OK, when should I stop this interval
- How do I map out this very precise method of training so that I do not pay more for my speed of choice
Because if you think you are doing one thing, but you drift into a more glycolytic environment, there are tissue changes. From a rehab standpoint, this becomes super important. You can bring on a level of load that might be good for performance and not so good for your tissue quality.
Blood flow restriction: same trigger, different purpose
People love to ask: What is the difference between blood flow restriction and being in a hypoxic environment?
None…..Same trigger….Different purpose.
The purpose of blood flow restriction training is not the same as the purpose of tissue remodeling.
If I am going to use blood flow restriction, I get lower load. That can matter when tissue cannot tolerate higher loading. You also create a maximally hypoxic, maximally acidotic, maximally edematous environment, which is a strong trigger for a hormonal response.
Now ask the question that people skip.
Does that hormonal response allow me to directly change the direction of collagen fibers.
Only if I am in that direction.
If I am not, then I am not doing that. I am doing something else.
So using blood flow restriction for performance is not a bad thing. But you definitely will not get strong, because the contractile elements are not being overloaded.
This is the bodybuilding and powerlifting comparison in one sentence.
Bodybuilders get bigger with time under tension. Powerlifters get stronger with higher force production. Both can be monsters. They are not training the same outcome.
If you could only pick one method
If you could only choose one method for creating a hypoxic environment.
Sprint. Train hard.
Why.
If you are sprinting properly, you are in the maximal range of motion. You are under high load. You are probably in a highly hypoxic environment. You are not breathing when you sprint for ten seconds.
It forces positions. It forces constraints. It is not just a sensation.
Blood flow restriction has limitations because you cannot use certain loads. For high levels of performance, it is secondary or tertiary. It can be very primary for hypertrophy, even a temporary pump, but it is a hormonal response.
Key insights from the video
- Scar tissue is not bad. But you need scar tissue. If something is torn, it has to be scarred over.
- Hypoxia is the trigger. Decrease the partial pressure of oxygen, and you start the cascade. The cogs and sprockets start moving to transcribe mRNA.
- If you train without oxygen in a significant way, you are triggering the same process. If you are doing so with random instructions of how the tissue should be remodeled, that is how you get really, really jacked up.
- Local hypoxia on site versus global systemic hypoxia. Totally not the same. Partial pressure of oxygen at the tissue level is not necessarily what you are going to measure here.
- Near-infrared spectrometry, like Moxy, is how you get more precise results. OK, when should I stop this interval? How do I map out this method so I do not pay more for my speed of choice?
- Blood flow restriction and being in a hypoxic environment. None. None. Same trigger. Different purpose.
- Nothing in training is free.
FAQ
Is scar tissue bad
No. Scar tissue is necessary. If something is torn, it has to be scarred over.
What does hypoxia do in training
A decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen starts a cascade that includes mRNA signaling tied to remodeling. Hypoxia is a trigger, not an automatic guarantee of the result you want.
Is blood flow restriction the same as hypoxic training
In terms of creating a hypoxic trigger, it can be. None. None. Same trigger. The purpose is not the same, and the outcome depends on the instruction and constraints.
Does blood flow restriction make you strong?
Not in the way people mean it. Charlie’s point is that you will not get strong from BFR because the contractile elements are not being overloaded. It is more tied to a hormonal response and hypertrophy, especially when lower loads are needed.
What is Moxy used for
Moxy is a near-infrared spectrometry tool used to guide dosing, such as deciding when to stop an interval so you do not pay more than you want for your speed of choice.
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If this topic landed, T=R: EPP is the next step
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