Shock Your Workout: UTEP Research Reveals How Electrification Enhances Muscle Mass and Strength

New meta-analysis: integrating electrical muscle stimulation with resistance training enhances strength, muscle mass

EL PASO, Texas (Jan. 14, 2025) – If enhancing strength and muscle mass figures into your New Year’s resolutions, you might consider incorporating a novel routine into your exercise regimen.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), commonly referred to as electrical muscle stimulation, employs electrical currents to induce muscle contractions. According to Sudip Bajpeyi, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at The University of Texas at El Paso, these stimulation devices are user-friendly and readily available in the market; however, he has frequently pondered, “Can these stimulators provide any advantageous effects when utilized alongside resistance training? What does the evidence indicate?”

Well, the findings are in — and they are encouraging. In a new meta-analysis study published this month in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, Bajpeyi ascertained that employing NMES during resistance training results in increased muscle mass and strength in comparison to resistance training alone.

Bajpeyi and his team undertook the meta-analysis encompassing more than a dozen studies that incorporated NMES and examined their outcomes.

“A meta-analysis offers a more extensive analysis of studies addressing the same research question,” Bajpeyi elaborated. “This methodology enables us to transcend the limitations of singular studies and draw more informed, evidence-backed conclusions.”

Co-authors on this study include Gabriel Narvaez, a recently graduated master’s student in kinesiology, and Jehu N. Apaflo, a doctoral student in interdisciplinary health sciences.

The team specifically assessed research that merged NMES with resistance training.

The analysis concentrated on studies where participants executed traditional resistance exercises, such as bench presses or squats, while utilizing NMES devices. This involves performing approximately eight to 12 repetitions of a singular weight training exercise, resting, and then repeating it, as stated by Bajpeyi.

The studies contrasted the results of participants utilizing electrical stimulators during their exercises against those who performed the exercises without electrical stimulation. Participants’ muscle mass and strength were evaluated at the start and conclusion of each study. Training durations varied for participants, ranging from two to 16 weeks, with longer periods yielding improved results.

“Under ordinary circumstances, the brain activates muscles by transmitting signals via the nervous system,” Bajpeyi mentioned. “NMES simulates this mechanism by supplying external electrical currents to the nerves, resulting in muscle contractions, independent of brain input. Consider it as if your muscles are contracting automatically.”

Bajpeyi is the director of the Metabolic Nutrition and Exercise Research (MiNER) lab at UTEP, where his team investigates how NMES or other methods can enhance physical and metabolic health.

Supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health, Bajpeyi is currently exploring how NMES could assist in regulating blood glucose levels and diminish the risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Exercise functions as medicine, but not everyone can or prefers to participate in conventional exercise,” he remarked. “NMES holds substantial promise for enhancing metabolic health by increasing muscle mass, which facilitates the body in processing blood glucose more efficiently.” 

Bajpeyi noted that outcomes from his NMES study are on the horizon.

Bajpeyi’s team is actively seeking participants for upcoming studies regarding NMES and metabolic health. Those interested in contributing may reach out at minerlab@utep.edu for further details.

About The University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at El Paso stands as America’s foremost Hispanic-serving university. Positioned at the extreme western edge of Texas, where three states and two countries meet along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 25,000 students are Hispanic, and over half are the first in their families to pursue higher education. UTEP provides 171 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in the United States.

Last Updated on January 14, 2025 at 12:00 AM | Originally published January 14, 2025

By MC Staff
UTEP Marketing and Communications

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