anatomy/brachial-artery·Artery
Brachial artery
Arteria brachialis
The main artery of the upper arm. Blood pressure is measured here, and here the cuff restricts blood flow in BFR training.
// Structure & location
The brachial artery is the continuation of the axillary artery. It runs down the inside of the upper arm in a groove beside the biceps. In the crook of the elbow it splits into the radial artery (thumb side) and the ulnar artery (little-finger side).
// Function
It supplies the upper arm muscles and delivers all the blood for the forearm and hand. Because it runs superficially and straight, it is well suited for measuring blood pressure: the cuff compresses it, and with the stethoscope in the crook of the elbow you hear when blood starts flowing again.
// For training & sport
- In blood flow restriction (BFR) training the cuff sits at the top of the upper arm and mainly restricts venous return.
- That's why BFR should be done with a sensible pressure, not with arbitrarily tight bands.
// Good to know
The crook of the elbow is also where blood is usually drawn. That happens from the superficial veins, though, not from the deeper artery.
// Sources
last reviewed: 2026-11-14