Gustavo Almeida, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UT Health San Antonio. Originally from Brazil, he began his career working with athletes such as soccer players, UFC and MMA fighters. Despite his fulfillment, he felt he had more to offer and wanted to do research.
His journey has led him to his current position where he is focused on studying blood flow restriction exercises and its effect on people awaiting total knee replacement. In this study, Almeida found that nine of 13 patients who exercised while their blood flow was restricted experienced improved function before and after surgery. This was a significant finding that surprised him.
The potential of this type of exercise goes beyond knee replacement patients, as evidenced by the comparison he made with healthy older adults. One group did blood flow restriction training without any weights and achieved results comparable to high resistance training with less effort. Through his work, Almeida explores how blood flow restriction exercise can benefit individuals in a variety of capacities.
This is part of a broader collaboration between TPR and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio that aims to show how scientific discoveries in San Antonio are shaping the future of medicine around the world.