Whole-body electromyostimulation in physical therapy: do gender, skinfold thickness or body composition influence maximum intensity tolerance?
Joshua Berger, Stephan Becker, Oliver Ludwig and 2 others
PMID 32581432WHAT IT FOUND
Body fat and skinfold thickness do not predict how much electrical stimulation a patient can tolerate during whole-body EMS.
Therapists cannot use these physical traits to guess safe intensity levels. Dose must still be adjusted based entirely on the patient's subjective feedback.
Key findings
01There was no overall relationship between body composition parameters (including skinfold thickness, body fat, and impedance) and maximum current intensity tolerance for either males or females.
02When looking at specific muscle groups, significant correlations were inconsistent: skinfold thickness related to tolerance in the lower back for males and the gluteus for females, but not in other areas.
03Because physical characteristics do not reliably predict tolerance, electrical voltage dosage in WB-EMS must rely on the patient's subjective feedback rather than anthropometric data.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy young adults (mostly students), so the findings may not apply to older patients, those with mobility impairments, or people with different pain thresholds. The sample size was small, particularly the number of female participants (14), which limits the power to detect subtle differences. Participants were EMS novices, so the results may not reflect the tolerance levels of experienced users who might adapt to the sensation over time. Ambient temperature was not strictly controlled, which can affect skin conductivity and blood flow, potentially influencing the tolerance results.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest, and the research received no external funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the isolated significant correlations in the lower back (males) and gluteus (females) as proof that skinfold thickness generally predicts EMS tolerance. These were inconsistent findings among many tests, and the overall conclusion remains that body composition does not reliably determine how much current a patient can handle.