Improvement in Isometric Strength of the Quadriceps Femoris Muscle After Training with Electrical Stimulation

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if training isometrically with electrical stimulation (ES) alone would significantly increase isometric strength of the quadriceps femoris muscle. The relationships between the strength changes and the relative force and duration of training contractions were also studied. An experimental group (Group 1) and a control group (Group 2), 12 subjects in each, underwent pretesting and posttesting to obtain their maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs). Group 1 trained with maximally tolerable isometric contractions induced by ES, three days a week for four weeks. Results showed that although both groups demonstrated increases in isometric strength of their quadriceps femoris muscles, training isometrically with ES produced a significantly greater increase (p less than .01) than not training with ES. The relative strength improvement in Group 1 was positively and significantly correlated with training-contraction intensity and duration. The relative increase in isometric strength, using only ES, may be determined by the ability of the subjects to tolerate longer and more forceful contractions. Suggestions for further research and implications for the clinical use of ES for strength-training are discussed.

Electrical stimulation for neuromuscular testing and training: state-of-the art and unresolved issues

“…As already pointed out in a recent review published in this journal (Maffiuletti 2010), the so-called training intensity (i.e., the level of force evoked by NMES, expressed as a fraction of the MVC force) seems to be the main determinant of NMES training effectiveness. In other words, muscles should produce the greatest relative tension when stimulated by NMES in order to maximize the training-induced strength gains (Lai et al 1988;Selkowitz 1985). Interestingly, we plotted the MVC strength gains collected from different NMES training studies completed in our laboratory against respective training intensities, and confirmed that a doseresponse relation does exist between these two variables (Maffiuletti NA, unpublished observations).…”

A Modified Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Protocol for Quadriceps Strength Training Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

“…We did not measure torque production during treatment in our study, however, it has been demonstrated that increased contraction inten-sity produced during NMES treatment results in proportionally increased improvements in isometric strength. 3,17,20 Differences in contraction intensity between the 2 types of NMES applications could explain the differences in treatment effect sizes.…”

Muscle damage induced by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with frequencies of 30 Hz and 100 Hz

“…[1][2][3] Its therapeutic use seeks primarily to accelerate the healing processes, gain muscle strength, improve general physical condition, and improve quality of life. It shows positive results regarding regaining strength, endurance, and muscle hypertrophy.…”