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Electromyostimulation
Training on Muscle
Strength and Sports
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Performance
Kayvan M. Seyri, MSc, NSCA-CPT*D, CSCS1 and Nicola A. Maffiuletti, PhD2
1
A.T. Still University, Kirksville, Missouri; and 2Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Schulthess Clinic,
Zurich, Switzerland
70 VOLUME 33 | NUMBER 1 | FEBRUARY 2011 Copyright Ó National Strength and Conditioning Association
Figure 1. Typical settings of isometric EMS exercise for the quadriceps muscle. MVC = maximal voluntary contraction.
Pulse characteristics (shape and the stimulus parameters themselves In a recent review article, Gregory and
duration); (20). Similarly, Lieber and Kelly (19) Bickel (12) suggested that EMS-
On/off cycle or duty cycle (to suggest that the effectiveness of EMS induced motor unit recruitment is
minimize the occurrence of fatigue); would not depend on external control- nonselective/random (also see (15)),
Ramping (to reduce contraction lable factors (such as electrode size or that is, muscle fibers are recruited
abruptness and to improve comfort); stimulation current) but rather on without obvious sequencing related
Electrode material, size, and some intrinsic anatomical/neuromus- to their types; thus, EMS can be used
placement. cular characteristics. to activate fast motor units (in addition
At present, there is no general consen- to the slow ones) at relatively low force
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF
sus on the optimal stimulus parame- EMS: MOTOR UNIT RECRUITMENT levels. The principal differences in
ters, so that considerable heterogeneity During voluntary contractions, motor motor unit recruitment between vol-
exists between the different EMS units are activated according to their untary and stimulated contractions are
studies. There is nevertheless an in- size and threshold of recruitment, that summarized in Table 1.
formal agreement on some current is, small low-threshold motor units are The main consequence of such unique
characteristics. For example, EMS recruited before large high-threshold motor unit recruitment patterns is the
strength training is commonly realized ones. On the other hand, when skeletal exaggerated metabolic cost of an EMS
using biphasic symmetrical rectangular muscles are artificially activated by contraction (36), which—compared
pulses lasting 100–500 microseconds EMS, the involvement of motor units with a voluntary action of the same
and being delivered at a pulse rate of is different from that underlying vol- intensity—provokes greater and earlier
50–100 Hz (35) to maximize the level untary activation. The main argument muscle fatigue (16,34). According to
of evoked force (muscle tension). For supporting this difference is that large Vanderthommen and Duchateau (35),
the same reason, current amplitude diameter axons are more easily excited these differences in motor unit re-
should be at the maximum level by electrical stimuli, which would alter cruitment and thus in metabolic de-
tolerated by the participants (18). the activation order during EMS mand between electrically evoked and
Unfortunately, a detailed and complete compared with voluntary contractions voluntary contractions constitute an
description of the EMS procedures (9). However, human experiments argument in favor of the combination
(including stimulus parameters) is fre- yielded contradictory findings with of these 2 modalities of activation in
quently lacking. Even if EMS param- some studies suggesting preferential/ the context of sports training.
eters may facilitate the effectiveness of selective activation of fast motor units
EMS, the practitioners agree that there with EMS and others demonstrating EFFECT OF EMS TRAINING ON
is considerable subject variation in minimal or no difference between the MUSCLE STRENGTH
response to EMS, and optimization 2 contraction modalities (for an over- For unimpaired muscles, EMS train-
may relate more to the subject than to view of these studies, see (12)). ing–induced strength gains are similar
a substitute for, more traditional forms strength and vertical jump performance. height, compared with the controls.
of training (21). Another interest of Based on a pre- to posttraining compar- Based on these findings, 12 weeks of
EMS for elite sportsmen is that a single ison among 3 experimental groups EMS training had a significant effect on
EMS bout is usually less time consum- (weight training only, EMS only, and muscle strength and power of elite rugby
ing (12–18 minutes) than traditional weight training plus EMS), they sug- players, although their specific skills like
volitional exercise sessions. This is gested that supplementing dynamic scrummaging and sprinting were not
extremely appealing for athletes who contractions with EMS could be more affected by EMS.
have a limited amount of time for effective than either EMS or weight In summary, does EMS could improve
conditioning (e.g., tennis players). It is training in isolation for increasing knee sport performance? If it is adequately
not tempting to suggest that EMS extensor strength and vertical jump combined with technical training (e.g.,
could replace traditional strength performance. These results are compat- plyometric) and logically integrated into
training methods, but rather, EMS has ible with previous findings by the same yearly training season, improvements
to be considered as an important authors (38) who examined EMS could be achieved in the following
complement/supplement to conven- training–induced strength gains in capabilities:
tional (voluntary) training programs (21). college basketball players. Jumping ability (both general and
As shown in Table 2, research in this From all the EMS studies conducted in specific jumps)
area has examined the effect of EMS competitive athletes, only one concen- Sprinting ability (including shuttle
on performance enhancement of elite trated on long-term (12 weeks) training sprints)
and subelite (noninjured) athletes in effects in professional rugby players (1). Other sport performances (swim-
individual and team sports, such as ice In this study, EMS was delivered to the ming, weightlifting, and shooting)
hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, knee extensor, plantar flexor, and gluteus PROBLEM STATEMENT AND
track and field, swimming, tennis, maximus muscles of 15 experimental CONCLUSIONS
weightlifting and rugby. subjects with 10 other individuals serving Numerous studies have shown the
As an example, Willoughby and as controls. After 12 weeks of carefully effectiveness of EMS on healthy un-
Simpson (39) examined the effect of monitored procedures, the EMS group trained and trained individuals includ-
EMS and dynamic contractions supple- showed a significant increase in maximal ing athletes. However, the significance
mented with EMS applied during concentric/eccentric torque, squat of the observed improvements is
weightlifting exercises on knee extensor strength, and squat and drop jump partially compromised by factors such
Figure 2. Example of annual training plan, including EMS, for team sports (basketball). Inspired from Bompa (5).
as the pretraining status of the subjects, apparent in this brief literature review, assistant professor at the University of
lack of standardization of methods, or there is heterogeneity in the magnitude Burgundy in Dijon (France).
testing protocols (31). For example, of improvements between studies,
while the study by Venable et al. (37) depending on factors such as EMS REFERENCES
on short-term EMS training found no intensity, the modality of EMS appli- 1. Babault N, Cometti G, Bernardin M,
effect on muscular strength, vertical cation, frequency, time course, recov- Pousson M, and Chatard JC. Effect of
electromyostimulation training on muscle
jump performance, or power, a recent ery between EMS protocols, and
strength and power of elite rugby players.
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EMS training reported significant in- periodic sports conditioning. Future
2. Bax L, Staes F, and Verhagen A. Does
creases in muscle strength and vertical research should focus on reaching
neuromuscular electrical stimulation
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enhancing the contractile quality of Kayvan Seyri is 3. Billot M, Martin A, Paizis C, Cometti C, and
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