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A new paradigm of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for the quadriceps femoris muscle

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with large electrodes and multiple current pathways (m-NMES) has recently been proposed as a valid alternative to conventional NMES (c-NMES) for quadriceps muscle (re)training. The main aim of this study was to compare discomfort, evoked force and fatigue between m-NMES and c-NMES of the quadriceps femoris muscle in healthy subjects.

Methods

Ten healthy subjects completed two experimental sessions (c-NMES and m-NMES), that were randomly presented in a cross-over design. Maximal electrically evoked force at pain threshold, self-reported discomfort at different levels of evoked force, and fatigue-induced force declines during and following a series of 20 NMES contractions were compared between c-NMES and m-NMES.

Results

m-NMES resulted in greater evoked force (P < 0.05) and lower discomfort in comparison to c-NMES (P < 0.05–0.001), but fatigue time course and magnitude did not differ between the two conditions.

Conclusions

The use of quadriceps m-NMES appears legitimate for (re)training purposes because it generated stronger contractions and was less discomfortable than c-NMES (due to multiple current pathways and/or lower current density with larger electrodes).

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Abbreviations

c-NMES:

Conventional neuromuscular electrical stimulation

m-NMES:

Multipath neuromuscular electrical stimulation

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

NMES:

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

SD:

Standard deviation

VAS:

Visual analogue scale

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Bio-Medical Research Ltd. (Galway, Ireland) for logistical support during the experimental phase of the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland

    Nicola A. Maffiuletti

  2. HP2 Laboratory (Hypoxia: Pathophysiology), Inserm U1042, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France

    Isabelle Vivodtzev

  3. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Marco A. Minetto

  4. Institute of Sport Sciences and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology-Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Nicolas Place

Authors
  1. Nicola A. Maffiuletti
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  2. Isabelle Vivodtzev
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  3. Marco A. Minetto
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  4. Nicolas Place
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicola A. Maffiuletti.

Additional information

Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Maffiuletti, N.A., Vivodtzev, I., Minetto, M.A. et al. A new paradigm of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for the quadriceps femoris muscle. Eur J Appl Physiol 114, 1197–1205 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2849-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-2849-2

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