Frequently Asked Questions
There are many questions that people have regarding Electronic Muscle Stimulation. We’ll try to answer the most common questions about EMS below. You can find more information about EMS on our clinical studies page as well as links to other studies.
Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS), is the elicitation of muscle contraction using electric impulses. The impulses are generated by the device and stimulate every major muscle group through electrodes placed near to the muscles being stimulated. The electrodes are generally pads that adhere to the skin. The impulses mimic the action potential that comes from the central nervous system, causing the muscles to contract.
EMS training is in gyms, wellness and beauty centers, as well as in competitive sport, rehabilitation and medicine. Elite athletes use EMS in addition to their training in order to improve their strength and speed. Physical therapists make use of EMS for joint-sparing muscle formation and for targeted back exercises.
Personal trainers, gyms and beauty centers concentrate on the fitness and beauty aspects: body shaping through muscle formation and catabolism of fat, stimulation of metabolism and tightening of connective tissue.
Yes. You should workout in long term and as regularly as with conventional training. The strength of the muscles can only be maintained by training regularly. If you do not workout over an extended period of time, the muscles will be reduced to the original status. Just like with conventional strength training.
The EMS full-body workout activates over 90% of the muscles fibers simultaneously during each contraction! Compared to conventional weight training, deeper muscles are also demanded. This enhances intra-cellular and inter-cellular coordination. As a result, EMS training produces an effect much more rapidly and effectively than conventional weight training. The training effect with an EMS workout can be up to 18 times more effective than conventional weight training.
No. Training and therapeutic applications using low-frequency current stimulation are not dangerous. Why? Because our muscles are constantly working. During this process, small intrinsic electric pulses initiate every movement. When training with current stimulation, this pulse is simply strengthened by the additional electrical pulse from outside and does not seem foreign to the body.
You do not need any special requirements in particular. Any healthy person can make effective use of EMS fitness training. In specific cases of pre-existing conditions or acute sickness, EMS training is not allowed. This includes acute febrile diseases or the wearing of a cardiac pacemaker. All possible contrary indicators will be discussed in a personal conversation prior to training. If you are concerned about any limiting factors, you should consult with your doctor.
A lot! Time is valuable, and making a commitment to change will take up some of that time. When you can get all of the burn and benefits from a 2 hour gym workout in 20 minutes, EMS fitness training makes sense. Body InVest combines the aspect of time saving with fun and sporting balance without any compromises. One 20-minute training session a week is enough to impact your training and see results!
While the targeted muscle works, the local congestion is stimulated intensively. The increased blood flow has a positive effect on the skin, the body is toned and cellulite can be reduced effectively. After the training, you will feel relaxed and rejuvenated. EMS training also improves the physical performance: you feel more flexible, have better circulation, and you’ll tire less quickly. in comparison to conventional training, the EMS workout offers the advantages of an intense training session in much less time.
Yes, you can use EMS to lose weight. In the first stage of training, you will lose centimeters from your girth. In the second stage, fat deposits are attacked. You will also burn more calories in everyday life because of the increased muscle activity, which means that the energy consumption and metabolism increases. Your training success will be amplified and girth and weight are reduced. You will feel better and want to exercise more! EMS training is a perfect complement to a dietary change in order to support weight and girth loss effectively.
You will feel revitalized after the first training session. Visible improvements such as a better posture usually show within a few training sessions. Girth loss, increase in power and improvement of your skin’s appearance will be visible within four to six weeks. This of course always depends on your physical condition at the beginning of the training and nutritional behavior. We recommend one to two 20-minute training sessions a week.
EMS is a perfect tool for aiding recovery following injury to muscles. Not only does it work on improving muscle strength, but it also helps to repair damaged tissues. For those who have sustained damage to their back and are confined to a bed or wheel chair for months, taking the first tentative steps towards walking again can be a painful, and sometimes impossible task.
One of the added benefits to using EMS technology for healing physical injuries is that it doesn’t put any added strain on joints, tendons and ligaments. You can rebuild your muscle strength without worrying about causing more unnecessary damage. In traditional training with apparatus, muscles are improved using weights meaning that some addition weight and strain is also applied to the joints themselves. With EMS training, however, any ‘load’ is the artificial result of electric currents passing through the muscles, which means any strain on joints and ligaments is kept to an absolute minimum.
Fashion magazines promote a clear image of women with perfect skin, clear lines and a female silhouette that does not match most women. EMS fitness training offers a gentle and lasting improvement. It brings the trunk and leg muscles into shape, revitalizes connective tissue and reduces or even eliminates cellulite.
EMS training definitely makes sense for couch potatoes. It encourages this group to exercise again by giving them an effective method to getting back into exercising. For people who have not done sports in years, EMS training can ease you back into fitness without overloading your muscles and joints. You’ll get to know your body better and the joy of physical activity will return. You will find yourself wanting to push your new body further!
Yes, you can accelerate muscle growth with EMS training. Similar results can be achieved with conventional training, but with greater stress on the joints and much longer time period. With EMS training, many muscle groups are used at the same time and the joints are spared. Muscle growth (hypertrophy) is quicker to achieve. It is important to know that the hormone levels play an important role: training males build up muscles with testosterone and training females tighten muscles with estrogen.
Electrical muscle stimulation is used to treat urinary incontinence by sending a mild electric current to nerves in the lower back or the pelvic muscles that are involved in urination. The stimulation may make the muscles contract, producing an effect similar to Kegel exercises, which strengthen the muscles by contracting them frequently. The stimulation may also encourage the growth of nerve cells that cause the muscles to contract.
No, according to official studies, there are absolutely no negative side effects for sport-healthy humans. EMS treatments have been a recognized part of classical techniques in physiotherapy since the 1950s.
No. The low-frequency impulse exclusively activates the striated skeletal muscles. Organs and the heart are not reached.