Physiological Effect of Exercise Training with Whole Body Electric Muscle Stimulation Suit on Strength and Balance in Young Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Many studies about Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) have been performed to determine the effectiveness of EMS. However, most studies enrolled only elderly patients. Moreover, only a few studies have verified the effect of a whole body (WB)-EMS suit on young healthy women. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to verify the physiological effects of exercise training with a WB-EMS suit in young women. During the study periods, 24 young women were randomly assigned into two groups: 1) the WB-EMS training group, and 2) the control. All participants in the two groups performed the same low-intensity resistance exercise three times a week for 6 weeks at a training center. Group 1 used an electric current for WB-EMS suit which was switched on during the exercise period. Outcome measures were body composition, body circumference of hips and abdomen, isokinetic muscle function of knees, balance functions, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)s, cardiopulmonary functions, and lipid profiles. All outcomes were measured before and after the exercise protocol over 6 weeks. A total of 23 young women (group 1, n=11; group 2, n=12) completed a 6-week exercise regimen. After exercise, we compared the differences before and after the exercise program in each group. There were significant differences (p≤0.05) in body circumference, cardiopulmonary function in group 1 and 2. In particular, group 1 that activated WB-EMS showed significant differences in the isokinetic muscle function on knee flexors and balance functions. The results of this study show that exercise with a WB-EMS suit can be considered as an effective exercise addition for young women.

The effects of whole-body muscle stimulation on body composition and strength parameters: A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Mainly on body fat reduction, there are studies reporting significant differences for the WB-EMS group [16,52,56] and others in which its effects were not significant. [42,62] This heterogeneity, to a large extent, can be explained by 4 main factors: application of different types of intensity (from low to high intensity); different training volumes (from 20 to 90 minutes per week, from 6 weeks to 12 months of intervention); little or no control over participants' caloric intake in most studies; and different population types (WB-EMS, trained participants, healthy, obese, cancer patients, and others).…”

Acute Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation during a Single Maximal Strength Training Session

“…The rate of perceived exertion is commonly used to control the intensity during the WB-EMS training [ 7 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 37 ]. We reported similar RPE data in the three experimental trials, slightly increasing along the sets in the bench press and the squat exercise, although with no significant differences.…”

“…Nevertheless, the CK levels were under the damage threshold of 5000 U/L [ 19 ]. Other authors found significant differences in the isokinetic muscle function and balance functions in WB-EMS training [ 20 ], but there is still controversy about whether WB-EMS is a hazard and should not be used as a training modality.…”

Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Whole Body Electromyostimulation

“…The intensity of the current is, in most cases, controlled by the Borg subjective perception scale (RPE) [ 18 , 28 , 29 ]. Recently, some authors have used the maximum stimulus tolerance to define the intensity of the current [ 30 , 31 ]. The total time of sessions is up to 20 min in the most relevant studies.…”