Having my undercarriage electrocuted sounds more like a dungeon than the gym, but ok.
Coach Kevin takes an objective look at electro-muscular stimulation for fitness outcomes.
Get-Fit Guy is hosted by Kevin Don. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
Have a fitness question? Email Kevin at getfitguy@quickanddirtytips.com or leave us a voicemail at (510) 353-3014.
Find Get-Fit Guy on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more fitness tips.
Get-Fit Guy is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.
Links:
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com
https://www.facebook.com/GetFitGuy
https://twitter.com/GetFitGuy
https://www.kevindon.com/
Welcome back to Get-Fit Guy! Recently, a friend in Hong Kong asked me what I thought about EMS or Electro-Muscular Stimulation training. Could he get fit by wearing an EMS suit for a few minutes a week? The answer is no, but since that would make a very short podcast, let me lay out the argument for why I say this.
As usual, let's kick this thing off by asking ourselves—what is EMS, anyway? Well, it stands for Electro-Muscular Stimulation. It’s pretty much what it says on the tin. Electrical impulses are delivered to your muscles through electrodes. These are either part of a wearable device, like a bodysuit or vest, or electrodes placed directly onto the skin. These impulses vary in intensity and can make a muscle contract up to 100 times a second.
A well-known EMS training center writes on its website:
“EMS offers a number of benefits over conventional exercise. Workouts take just a fraction of the time, which could be reason enough. However, EMS offers increased endurance, better body composition, and greater strength. It can improve your mood and improve circulation, too! If you are looking to get in shape, but don’t want to overdo it, EMS is a great option. From toning up to gaining endurance and getting stronger, EMS can help you!”
The pricing options are, well, pricy. It starts at $70 for a session. You also need to pay extra to buy some EMS underpants which aren’t included. Having my undercarriage electrocuted sounds more like a dungeon than the gym, but ok.
The most popular session appears to be Express 20, where they promise a 90-minute workout in 20 minutes. Unlikely. By definition alone, a 90-minute workout takes 90 minutes. In a 20-minute workout, you get… a 20-minute workout. This 20-minute workout, which takes place as part of a “class” where you are sharing in the mutual joy of group electrocution, will apparently be tailored to my own workout goals!
So… that's the spiel. Now for the reality.
Firstly, I will state my conclusion and then lay out my propositions, with evidence for that being the case. It’s great being able to use logic and deductive reasoning to unravel this stuff for you week in and week out!
EMS will not, contrary to the claims, help you get closer to your fitness goals, improve your mood, or have the ability to be tailored to your training goals.
Now, technically, I don’t need to counter the claims made by the EMS training company I have quoted earlier. This is because the burden of proof is on the claimant and claims made without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. But let's unpack some of the claims and take an objective overview.
Firstly, the claim that you can fit the results of longer workouts in just a fraction of the time. With classes lasting only 20 minutes, it certainly seems that could be the case. But is there any evidence to support this? Well, I have to say, evidence on EMS is not easy to find. Most of the websites dedicated to EMS are either articles by fitness magazines, or EMS companies, which would make citing them a remarkably cavalier use of the word evidence. But there ARE some studies indicating some improvements in strength and power when EMS was applied. However, this EMS was used in conjunction with traditional strength training. Therefore, I cannot conclude that it saves you any time since it is performed in addition to an existing training protocol.
Next, we have the claim that EMS offers better endurance. Well, a 2021 study (1) concluded that whole-body EMS was nothing compared to traditional resistance training. In the study, participants either performed single or triple-set resistance training, whole body EMS, or nothing (control), and only the two resistance training groups improved cardio-metabolic health across the 12-week trial.
Next up, we have the claim that you will have greater strength outcomes. Well, a 2019 study (2) concluded that the effects of whole-body EMS training on “moderately trained adults” were negligible across strength outcomes (leg press, leg curl, and leg extension), jumping, and sprints.
And finally, to look at the claim that it will help you “tone up” and improve body composition, I had a look at a 2018 study (3) which concluded that “the 12-week EMS program modestly reduced waist circumference in abdominally obese adults without side effects.”
So, we have a modest reduction in waist circumference, a negligible strength, speed, and power effect, and a worse 12-week outcome on cardio-metabolic health than traditional resistance training. All for 70 bucks a session and panties that zap your nether regions. No thanks.
But in addition to this, who are we kidding that standing in an EMS suit for 20 minutes once a week can be tailored to my goals? It can’t. We have discussed many times the SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand) and that's exactly how the human body works. I adapt to the stress I’m placed under. If my goal is a triathlon, sure, some strength training will help, but I need to run, swim, and cycle and do it in the volume and time demands of the event. Likewise but conversely, greater aerobic capacity will help strength training because more blood flow lets me do more reps, but the idea that I can train for a powerlifting meet by running is preposterous. So it's easy to see that EMS training cannot truly be tailored to your training goals because it's limited by its nature. There are too many potential training variables for this to be the case and anytime I hear that claim, my spidey senses start tingling.
I’d love to check in here each week and say, guess what troops? I’ve found another new way for you to put in little to no physical effort and get fitter, faster, or stronger. But that's not how it works. There won’t ever be a magic pill, potion, or method. It will always take time and effort. But at least these crazy fads keep me occupied with advice each week.
If you have a training question, are looking for individual training program design, or just want to say hi, head over to the Get-Fit Guy Facebook page or send me an email at getfitguy@quickanddirtytips.com.