Does EMS stimulation help to lose weight?

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) has been used for a long time in rehabilitation, muscle atrophy and other therapeutic needs. More recently, EMS has been marketed as a weight loss, and "toning" tool. The appeal of watching television, driving or working in an office apparently while working out is very difficult to resist. In fact, many people who bought the AB-Tronic ab belts or similar, well succumb to this temptation.

EMS consists of a unit that is essentially an electric current to certain muscles, through wires and electrodes that are attached to the skin surface. While in rehabilitation clinics and Environment EMS has proved useful to strengthen some muscles that otherwise might never have been built, due to nerve damage or other, in the general population manufacturers claims have never been tested. Too often, products fitness proposes to lose weight, tone up or flatten the abs, do not undergo any clinical efficacy and sometimes even security. Thus, a warning must come to the hearing after seeing or complaints from manufacturers, even if they do not directly say so.

This scientific study has established two groups of people similar to the EMS system to the test. All people in the study of tests before being "plugged in" to this initial system or determine what's called "core" measures of body composition and strength levels. Tests included things like body weight, skinfolds to determine body fat, girths to determine the muscle mass and muscle strength of the muscles in various tests, of course, including those who should be EMSed. They tested the levels of the strength of the biceps, triceps, quadriceps and hamstrings using various methods.

The action group then conducted EMS training according to the manufacturers or course description, 3 times per week for a total of 8 weeks. The control group performed "sham EMS", which acts as a placebo to remove the strong psychological component of the test. So even the control group carried out what they thought was EMS, using an electric current more gentle with "low amplitude." After 8 weeks, the results of both groups were compared for the test parameters of body composition and strength.

After 8 weeks, the groups showed no difference for any of the tested parameters. Keeping in mind that the groups were similar in terms of age, height, weight or percentage of body fat is what scientific studies unfortunately sometimes discover. So, there is no difference between EMS EMS groups and not for 7 skinfolds, weight, body weight or lean (muscle), the percentage of fat or bodyfat weight before and after screening in the two groups. No difference was observed in girths of different body sites tested in one or the other group comprising abdominals. Even the levels of resistance were not raised by EMS training.

Researchers of this study also concluded that, "there has been no significant changes in the appearance or the tone of firmness in both groups before and after the tests" which is contrary to what these manufacturers clearly state in their marketing. So, the moral of the story here is not to believe everything you hear, are told or read by manufacturers, retailers and their immediate staff. Most give you what you want to hear. Scientific studies like this and gives us purpose is to give you the truth.