Handcycling with concurrent lower body low-frequency electromyostimulation significantly increases acute oxygen uptake in elite wheelchair basketball players: an acute crossover trial.
Ludwig Rappelt, Steffen Held, Florian Micke and 4 others
PMID 38850087WHAT IT FOUND
Handcycling with low-frequency leg electrical stimulation raised oxygen uptake in elite wheelchair basketball players.
This was an acute effect only, so it does not show improved fitness or training benefit.
Key findings
01Oxygen uptake was higher during handcycling with concurrent lower-limb electrical stimulation than during handcycling alone (19.23 vs 17.60 ml/min/kg).
02Heart rate and several breathing-related measures were higher with concurrent stimulation.
03Discomfort was higher with concurrent stimulation (3.94 vs 1.44), while perceived effort was similar (2.65 vs 2.92).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study measured only acute responses during one lab visit, so it does not show training adaptations. The sample was 12 elite male wheelchair basketball players, so it may not apply to other wheelchair users. Participants had different diagnoses and lower-limb muscle mass, and the stimulation intensity reaching the muscles was not precisely known. The authors stated that long-term effects of concurrent low-frequency EMS on aerobic capacity remain limited.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was from the German Federal Institute of Sports Science (BISp), grant 20200704.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that lower-limb electrical stimulation during handcycling improves fitness or clinical outcomes. The study measured only an acute oxygen uptake response in 12 male elite wheelchair basketball players, and it did not test long-term training effects.