Chronic Effects of Wide-pulse Neuromuscular Electrostimulation on Neuromuscular and Functional Properties in Healthy Subjects

Summary

Neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) is a technique used in the clinical and training fields to increase the strength of a muscle group.The recent use of wide-pulse (WP) stimulations allows, in addition to the direct activation of the muscle fibers, the use of sensory pathways. This more global solicitation of the neuromuscular system (i.e. information going back to the spinal cord and even to the brain) prejudges more nervous adaptations and therefore a greater functional benefit. The first aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the force gains induced by 2 NMES training programs (CONV, WP) applied on knee extensors in healthy subjects for 6 weeks.The second aim is to understand the neuromuscular adaptations involved in these gains, as well as the functional benefit resulting from these improvements.

Conditions

• Healthy Volunteers

Interventions

DEVICE

Wide-pulse neuromuscular electrostimulation (WP NMES)

The WP NMES program consists of electrical stimulation trains of 1000 symmetrical biphasic pulses (1 ms, 100 Hz). The duration of a train is of 10 s and the rest between trains is of 30 s. A WP NMES session includes 30 evoked contractions. The stimulation intensity is monitored online and adjusted to the highest tolerable by the subjects.During the stimulation, subjects are seated with the knee joint fixed a 60° angle. Three self-adhesive electrodes are placed over the right thigh. The positive electrodes, measuring 25 cm² (5 x 5 cm), are placed as close as possible to the motor point of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles. The negative electrode, measuring 50 cm² (10 x 5 cm), is placed 5-7 cm below the inguinal ligament. Electrical stimulations are delivered by a stimulator BioStim (Mazet Santé).

DEVICE

Conventional neuromuscular electrostimulation (CONV NMES)

The CONV NMES program consists of electrical stimulation trains of 500 symmetrical biphasic pulses (0.2 ms, 50 Hz). The duration of a train is of 10 s and the rest between trains is of 30 s (duty cycle: 1/3). A WP NMES session includes 30 evoked contractions. The stimulation intensity is monitored online and adjusted to the highest tolerable by the subjects. During the stimulation, subjects are seated with the knee joint fixed a 60° angle. Three self-adhesive electrodes are placed over the right thigh. The positive electrodes, measuring 25 cm² (5 x 5 cm), are placed as close as possible to the motor point of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles. The negative electrode, measuring 50 cm² (10 x 5 cm), is placed 5-7 cm below the inguinal ligament. Electrical stimulations are delivered by a stimulator BioStim (Mazet Santé).

DEVICE

Control (CONT) modality

Control (CONT) modality is used as a reference and is representative of a sedentary behaviour regularly observed in our populations.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Léonard FEASSON, MD PHD · Centre Hospitalier de Saint-Etienne

• Thomas LAPOLE, PhD · Université de Saint-Etienne

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-05-05

Primary Completion

2022-05-09

Completion

2022-08-22

Countries

• France

Study Locations