EMS uses an electrode suit to activate major and stabiliser muscle groups for a true whole body training experience. Training in this way provides a time saving way of exercising whilst maximising health gains. Benefits can be seen in as little as 20 minutes training per week & evidence has suggested increases in strength, muscle mass & sports performance, whilst lowering fat mass & back pain have also been documented.
What does the research say?
Systematic review:
Covers training regimens and stimulation parameters to determine their influence on the effectiveness of strength training with EMS. 89 from 200 studies were appropriate to be reviewed & the primary purpose of this study as to establish a stimulus level that activates strength adaptations & to provide guidelines for implementing EMS effectively in strength training especially in high-performance sports.
Results indicated a relationship existed between stimulation intensity & strength gains. EMS can be incorporated into specific strength & athletic conditioning regimes to maximise adaptations.
Take Home Message:
EMS can be used as an additional alternative in strength training but not as a complete replacement. Regardless of the EMS method used, additional athletic performance training has a positive influence for transferring the strength gains to specific types of movements, such as sprinting or jumping.
Filipovic etal, 2011. Electromyostimulation - A Systematic Review. Journal of Strength Conditioning Research 25(11): 3218–3238