The Benefits of Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Resting Metabolism

This study determined the effects of a FDA approved medical grade electrical muscle stimulator system on enhancing energy expenditure at rest in healthy, active adults. Each subject performed the following items: a Block short-form food frequency questionnaire, body composition assessment (Inbody 520), a free-living physical activity assessment (BodyMedia Armband), a maximal aerobic capacity treadmill test (VO2 max), practice resting metabolic rate (RMR) and EMS accommodation training, and two standardized RMR trials with and without Contour MX9 EMS activation. Subject characteristics were age (27.9 + or - 6.9 yrs), Wt (168.1 + or - 37.4 lbs), BodyFat (21.2 + or - 8.7%), VO2 max (44.0 + or - 8.3 ml/kg/min), 24-hr energy expenditure (2,881 + or - 637 kcal), Daily Steps (10,630 + or - 4,687). Test-retest data showed that both the non-EMS (Delta: 1.2%; r-value: 0.93; SEE: 15 kcal; p-value 0.0001) and EMS trials (Delta: 0.8%; r-value: 0.94; SEE: 27 kcal; p-value 0.0001) were highly reliable.