Four weeks of electrical stimulation improves glucose tolerance in a sedentary overweight or obese Hispanic population

Abstract

Introduction/Purpose: Most U.S. adults (54%) do not meet minimum exercise recommendations by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a novel alternate strategy to induce muscle contraction. However, effectiveness of NMES to improve insulin sensitivity and energy expenditure is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of four weeks of NMES on glucose tolerance in a sedentary overweight or obese population. Methods: Participants (n=10; age: 36.8 ± 3.8 years; BMI=32 ± 1.3 kg/ m2) were randomized into either control or NMES group. All participants received bilateral quadriceps stimulation (12 sessions; 30 minutes/session; 3 times/week at 50 Hz and 300 µs pulse width) altering pulse amplitude to either provide low intensity sensory level (control; tingling sensation) or at high intensity neuromuscular level (NMES; maximum tolerable levels with visible muscle contraction). Glucose tolerance was assessed by three-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), substrate utilization was measured by indirect calorimetry and body composition via dual X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and after four weeks of NMES intervention. Results: Control and NMES groups had comparable fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance, substrate utilization, and muscle mass at baseline. Four weeks of NMES resulted in a significant improvement in glucose tolerance measured by OGTT, whereas no change was observed in control group. There was no change in substrate utilization and in muscle mass in both control and NMES groups. Conclusion: NMES is a novel and effective strategy to improve glucose tolerance in an at-risk overweight or obese sedentary population.

Effect of electromyostimulation training on intramuscular fat accumulation determined by ultrasonography in older adults

“…EMS training also did not decrease glucose concentrations in the current study. The present result does not concur with that of Galvan et al ( 2022 ) who reported improvement of glucose tolerance after EMS in obese young adults. EMS induces muscle contraction; it effectively increases glucose uptake via an insulin-independent mechanism in young male adults (Hamada et al 2003 ).…”

“…Our results are congruent with the results for obese young adults (mean age 30 years; mean body mass index 32 kg/m 2 ; n = 5) that showed that EMS intervention did not change triglyceride concentrations (Galvan et al 2022 ). EMS training also did not decrease glucose concentrations in the current study.…”

“…Mean fasting free fatty acid, triglyceride, and glucose concentrations were also normal at rest. Therefore, our results might be different from obese young and older adults (Galvan et al 2022 ; Wittmann et al 2016 ).…”

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation during Hemodialysis Suppresses Postprandial Hyperglycemia in Patients with End-Stage Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Crossover Controlled Trial

“…Our data in end-stage DKD on maintenance hemodialysis are in line with their results. However, a 4 week NMES study in obese healthy sedentary Hispanic subjects reported significant improvements of glucose tolerance [ 14 ]. In Stage 2, MAGE was taken 72 h after NMES, because of which there is a possibility that there was no difference in MAGE.…”

“…To maintain or improve muscle function, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been used as an alternative to exercise therapy. NMES has been reported to lower blood glucose levels by predominantly stimulating type II fibers in diabetic patients [ 13 ], to improve glucose tolerance [ 14 ], and to promote muscle protein synthesis in elderly people with diabetes [ 15 ]. A systematic review regarding long-term NMES application [ 16 ] showed that NMES increased knee extension strength, 6 min walking distance, chair standing test score, and grip strength in hemodialysis patients in their 40s to 70s.…”