ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2020 February;60(2):206-13

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09998-5

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation training for abdominal muscles on change of muscle size, strength, endurance and lumbopelvic stability

Ui-Jae HWANG ¹, Oh-Yun KWON ² ✉, Sung-Hoon JUNG ¹, Hyun-A KIM ¹, Gyeong-Tae GWAK ¹

¹ Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea; ² Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Laboratory of Kinetic Ergocise Based on Movement Analysis, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea

BACKGROUND: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) devices for abdominal muscles are being marketed to the general public to improve physical appearance. Abdominal muscles play an important role in lumbopelvic stability for optimizing performance. We investigated the effects of NMES training of abdominal muscles on muscle size, muscle strength, endurance, and lumbopelvic stability.
METHODS: Twenty-three subjects (12 females, 11 males) performed abdominal muscle NMES training for 8 weeks. Before and after NMES training, we measured muscle size (cross-sectional area [CSA] of the rectus abdominals [RA] and lateral abdominal wall [LAW]) by magnetic resonance imaging, muscle strength (trunk flexor and side bridge strength), endurance (trunk flexor and side bridge endurance time), and lumbopelvic stability (one-leg loading test).
RESULTS: There were significant increases between pre- and post-NMES training differences in the size (CSA of RA 21.7-25.4%, P<0.001; CSA of LAW 9.00-9.71%, P<0.001), strength (trunk flexor 14.9%, P<0.05; side bridge 33.7-53.6%, P<0.05), and endurance (trunk flexor 29.1%, P<0.05; side bridge 24.6-28.9%, P<0.05) of abdominal muscles and lumbopelvic stability (37.2-37.4%, P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: NMES training could be applied to increase muscle size and muscle performances of abdominal muscles in sports and fitness fields.

KEY WORDS: Electric stimulation therapy; Abdominal muscles; Muscle strength; Physical endurance