Seeking to amp up your exercise positive aspects?
You in all probability already know that wearable tech, equivalent to smartwatches and coronary heart price screens, may help athletes optimize their coaching and improve their efficiency.
However have you ever heard of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) gadgets? A brand new evaluation discovered that carrying one whereas resistance coaching can increase energy and muscle mass.
“Under normal conditions, the brain activates muscles by sending signals through the nervous system,” defined Sudip Bajpeyi, a kinesiology professor on the College of Texas at El Paso.
“NMES mimics this process by delivering external electrical currents to the nerves, causing the muscles to contract, without input from the brain,” Bajpeyi continued. “Think of it as though your muscles are contracting involuntarily.”
The system, which may be affixed to fitness center shorts, could elevate some eyebrows within the weight room.
It’s a handheld unit holding wires hooked up to electrode pads that athletes place on the pores and skin over the muscle tissue they wish to goal. Customers can alter pulse frequency, depth and stimulation period.
Bajpeyi’s workforce analyzed 13 research comprising almost 400 individuals who carried out resistance workouts equivalent to bench presses or squats.
Contributors’ muscle mass and energy have been measured in the beginning and finish of every examine.
The researchers in contrast the outcomes of those that embraced NMES whereas exercising to those that didn’t, discovering higher positive aspects in energy and muscle mass with the devices.
The outcomes have been revealed this month within the European Journal of Utilized Physiology.
Previous analysis has discovered that NMES can activate a bigger proportion of muscle fibers inside a muscle group, probably delaying muscle fatigue and enabling longer exercises.
Bajpeyi stated future research ought to examine if using NMES whereas resistance coaching can have an effect on metabolic or coronary heart well being.
For his half, Bajpeyi is exploring whether or not NMES can decrease excessive blood sugar and cut back the danger of kind 2 diabetes.
“Exercise is medicine, but not everyone is able or willing to engage in traditional exercise,” he stated. “NMES has great potential for improving metabolic health by building muscle mass, which can help the body process blood glucose more effectively.”
