Using a run-of-the-mill, portable and non-invasive electrical muscle stimulator while doing resistance training can yield greater gains in muscle stre

Weight training plus electricity adds extra muscle and strength

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2025-01-13 11:30:05

Using a run-of-the-mill, portable and non-invasive electrical muscle stimulator while doing resistance training can yield greater gains in muscle strength and muscle mass than doing resistance training alone, according to new research.

Conventional resistance training, which is any exercise that causes muscles to contract against external resistance, improves skeletal muscle mass, strength and power. Likewise, using a widely available, non-invasive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device to induce involuntary muscle contractions can increase strength and mass in muscles of the upper and lower body.

Now, researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have led a study to investigate the effect that combining the two – resistance training (RT) and NMES – has on muscle mass and strength.

“To our knowledge, there are no systematic review and meta-analysis studies to date that evaluate the effectiveness of using NMES with RT,” said the researchers. “To address this gap, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of superimposed NMES on resistance training-induced increases in muscle strength and muscle mass compared to conventional RT.”