Dr Luke Hughes

Associate Professor

School: Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation

Dr Luke Hughes is an exercise physiologist specialising in clinical exercise and aerospace physiology. He obtained his PhD in clinical exercise physiology in 2019, which developing a novel exercise rehabilitation technique termed “blood flow restriction exercise”.

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests:

My research focusses on understanding the physiological mechanisms of health and deconditioning, and development of novel interventions to optimise human health, performance and rehabilitation in high-performance (e.g. professional/elite sport, human spaceflight) and clinical medicine populations. Within clinical medicine, my work focusses on the use of ‘blood flow restriction exercise’, a novel low-intensity exercise intervention, to improve health in deconditioned populations and improve post-surgical outcomes in several medical conditions and diseases. I have implemented this technique in the UK National Health Service, initially through clinical trials and now as part of standard rehabilitation. I am now working to develop blood flow restriction exercise as a countermeasure to improve astronaut health and mitigate deconditioning during spaceflight, and optimise post-flight rehabilitation outcomes.

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Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Autoregulation during blood flow restricted exercise offers no additional benefit on thigh muscle hypertrophy and strength adaptations in trained participants: a randomized within-subject 8-week trial, Akçay, N., Rolnick, N., Keskin, K., Kamiş, O., Köremezli Keskin, N., Başdemirci, O., Sofuoğlu, C., Hughes, L. 23 Feb 2026, In: Frontiers in Physiology
Does exercising bilaterally require measuring bilaterally? Bilateral versus unilateral tourniquet cuff inflation during measurement of arterial occlusion pressure: considerations for blood flow restriction exercise, Bielitzki, R., Behrendt, T., Behrens, M., Latendorf, J., Franz, A., Hughes, L., Schega, L. 5 Jun 2026, In: Frontiers in Physiology
Editorial: Impact of blood flow restriction device features and methodological considerations on acute- and longitudinal responses to blood flow restricted exercise, Rolnick, N., Werner, T., Clarkson, M., Hughes, L. 6 Mar 2026, In: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
Evaluating the effectiveness of blood flow restriction training in older adults: An overview of systematic reviews, de Queiros, V., Rolnick, N., Jaggers, J., Fortunato, I., Albuquerque Filho, N., Gonzaga, J., da Cunha Lisboa, M., Hughes, L. 1 May 2026, In: Sports Medicine and Health Science
Hypogravity Simulation using the Variable Gravity Suspension System: A Technical Report, Swain, P., Swain, A., Santos, F., Hughes, L., Lindsay, K., Lomax, I., Bruce-Martin, C., Caplan, N. 1 Apr 2026, In: Experimental Physiology
Jumping in simulated lunar gravity with blood flow restriction as a potential exercise countermeasure: The acute physiological effects, Illingworth, B., Hughes, L., Sheard, N., Latue, C., Swain, P., Caplan, N., Santos, F. 17 Jun 2026, In: Experimental Physiology
Neuromotor changes in postural control following bed rest, Ritzmann, R., Centner, C., Hughes, L., Waldvogel, J., Marusic, U. 15 Jan 2026, In: The Journal of Physiology
Pressure point: blood flow restriction exercise and the pain paradox in musculoskeletal injury and persistent pain populations—a narrative review, Gray, L., Hughes, L., Kelly, L., Barker-Davies, R., Coppack, R., Caplan, N., Cassidy, R., Lewis, S., Bennett, A., Ladlow, P. 16 Jun 2026, In: Frontiers in Pain Research
The dynamics of neuromuscular resilience across the lifespan: Ageing, disuse and intervention, Centner, C., Ritzmann, R., Marusic, U., Hughes, L. 15 Jan 2026, In: The Journal of Physiology
The effects of high-pressure versus low-pressure blood flow restriction resistance exercise in individuals with lower limb musculoskeletal injuries and persistent pain: a randomised controlled trial, Gray, L., Coppack, R., Barker-Davies, R., Cassidy, R., Bennett, A., Caplan, N., Atkinson, G., Bradshaw, L., Hughes, L., Ladlow, P. 1 May 2026, In: Physical Therapy in Sport

PGR Supervision

Luke Gray Optimising the Therapeutic Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Exercise within UK Defence Rehabilitation Start Date: 01/10/2023
Bradley Barbour Walking and Jumping on the Moon with Blood Flow Restriction: A Spaceflight Countermeasure for Exploration Class Missions Start Date: 01/10/2024
Michael Dawes Evaluating the Integration of Domiciliary Blood Flow Restriction Therapy into Post–Operative Total Knee Replacement Rehabilitation within Existing NHS Care Pathways Start Date: 01/03/2026

Qualifications

Philosophy PhD July 30 2019

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