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Talk about a shock to the system: zapping yourself with an electrical muscle stimulation device during resistance training can lead to greater muscle mass and strength improvements compared to weightlifting alone, according to new research. The work, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, is a meta-analysis analyzing 13 different studies for a combined total of 374 participants.
The idea makes sense. Resistance training is the way to build muscle, while neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) devices are affordable, widely available, and easy to use. So why not combine them and get the best of both worlds? The researchers’ thinking went, and their new study was designed to find out.
Under normal conditions, the brain activates muscles by sending signals through the nervous system. NMES mimics this process by delivering external electrical currents to the nerves, causing the muscles to contract, without input from the brain. “Think of it as though your muscles are contracting involuntarily,” said study coauthor Sudip Bajpeyi, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at The University of Texas at El Paso.
The studies analyzed were chosen for combining NMES with resistance training; 13 of them were randomized control trials with the majority of the studies favoring athletic participants. Subjects’ strength and muscle mass were evaluated at the beginning and end of each study, which had training periods between two to 16 weeks in length. The findings showed a statistically significant boost in strength and muscle mass gains by combining weight training with electrical stimulation.
The study noted that the NMES electrical signals can be used to activate parts of your muscles that you aren’t fully contracting, which is part of the struggle of resistance training. But there is at least one major caveat: none of the analyzed studies controlled the participants’ diet, a pretty big oversight, because eating enough calories and protein are essential to building muscle. While experienced lifters may find the concept of using electrical stimulation intriguing, beginners would be better off focusing on getting their lifts down and eating enough food.
