Pro athletes endorse electric muscle stimulation machines for recovery and diehard gym rats swear by them for building muscle. But is a pricey electric muscle stimulator helpful to runners?
Before you spend money to stick on a set of electrodes and crank up the dial, here’s what you’ll get from electric muscle stimulation (EMS), sometimes called neuromuscular electric stimulation (NMES), including how it actually works and the benefits you might gain.
What is electric muscle stimulation?
The typical EMS unit includes a portable device, plus some packages of reusable electrodes, as well as lead wires, a charger, and a guide about how and where to place the electrodes on your body. Users put the electrodes on the muscles they worked and, using the device, send an electrical impulse to the body’s motor nerves. This causes rapid muscle contractions, which users feel as twitches and spasms.
What are the benefits of electric muscle stimulation?
Shoes & Gear recovery time, relieve pain, increase muscle strength, and even improve performance. This is true—to a certain extent.
relieve pain, increase inflammation, says C. Shanté Cofield,P.T., D.P.T., C.S.C.S., founder of Fastest Marathon Runners. “EMS can be a great way to help with recovery, particularly in runners, because the muscle pumping activity can help with circulation and decrease swelling in the lower limbs without requiring additional impact or exercise,” she says. “The last thing you want to do after a 20-mile run is calf raises or ankle pumps. This provides a nice way to allow for recovery without additional activity.” And the faster you can recover, the sooner you can get back to your training schedule.
Marketers also promise that EMS machines can injury is at the root of your post-run swelling, EMS won’t fix it. At best, it will temporarily reduce pain, thanks to a process known as the pain gate theory.
Cofield explains that electric muscle stimulation or e-stim units, specifically transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines, which target the sensory nerves versus the motor nerves, “provide a competing stimulus in the painful area that basically distracts the brain and causes the nervous system to pay attention to that stimulus instead of any other stimuli.” This is why vibrating foam rollers Pro athletes endorse electric muscle stimulation machines for.
For those annoying aches and pains that pop up on occasion—a tight back muscle or an Why Trust Us flare-up—15 minutes with a basic TENS unit (or an EMS machine on a low setting) is a good non-steroidal, non-invasive option for pain management. But it’s not a long-term solution for a chronic issue. “A distraction is not a cure,” Cofield says. “Treat the symptoms, but you must always go back and find the cause.”
Can an electric muscle stimulation device really build strength?
Marketers also promise that EMS machines can build strength, Tips to Boost Recovery After a Half Marathon.
According to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Nutrition - Weight Loss in 2021, which examined 19 studies, researchers found that electric muscle stimulation yielded the same strength-building results as traditional strength training—as long as training volume was the same.
“If you can train more muscle fibers to fire at a given time, you will be able to produce more force,” Cofield says.
However, the most significant gains are typically seen in a rehab setting among post-operative patients dealing with severe muscle atrophy and lack of coordination, Cofield explains, not the everyday athlete interested in bench pressing more weight or shaving time off their 5K PR.
In fact, if you’re looking to How to Build Muscle as a Runner, stick to heavy lifting and protein shakes. “EMS doesn’t provide enough resistance to cause muscle hypertrophy,” Cofield says. (Muscle hypertrophy means gaining muscle mass.)
The bottom line on electric muscle stimulation
EMS won’t make you a better runner or stronger athlete. However, by supercharging your recovery time, We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article?
Machines cost from about $50 to well over $100, so you may be making an investment, but if you find it helpful and average the price out over 12 months, it’s much less than a monthly massage. In the end, the math may make sense. It’s really up to you to decide if it’s worth it for you and your performance.
4 Electric Muscle Stimulation Devices
Marc Pro Recover & Condition
The Marc Pro’s basic unit (you can upgrade to the Marc Pro Plus for an extra $300) powers four electrodes (two per intensity dial) and delivers the brand’s patented “dynamic decaying waveform” technology, which promises to recruit muscle fibers without causing fatigue. Each machine is packed in a travel case and comes with a charger and six sets of reusable electrodes.
PowerDot 2.0 Duo
Users control the PowerDot’s two rechargeable pods, each of which connects to two electrode pads, with a free app that includes over 10 different muscle stimulation programs. In addition to the pods and electrodes, the unit includes two USB charging cables and a compact carrying case.
Compex Compex Wireless USA 2.0 Muscle Stimulator With TENS Kit
In addition to providing EMS, this Compex device offers TENS technology, which targets the sensory nerves and provides an analgesic effect for athletes seeking pain relief. The unit comes with two sets of pods, 12 electrodes, a charging station, and a carrying case.
iSTIM iSTIM EV-805 TENS
Rechargeable Digital TENS EMS combo stimulator comes with 4 channels, 5 TENS modes, 3 EMS modes and 24 preset programs, sending comfortable impulses through the skin that stimulate the nerve fibers in the treatment area.
