Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2018; 39(07): 535-540
DOI: 10.1055/a-0601-6742
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Training Effects of Alternated and Pulsed Currents on the Quadriceps Muscles of Athletes

Pedro Oliveira
1   College of Physical Education, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
,
Karenina Arrais Guida Modesto
2   College of Physiotherapy, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
,
Martim Bottaro
3   Physical Education, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
,
Nicolas Babault
4   UFR STAPS, Universite de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
,
João Luiz Quagliotti Durigan
5   College of Physiotherapy, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History



accepted 28 March 2018

Publication Date:
22 May 2018 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of 6 weeks training with different neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) currents (medium alternated and low-frequency pulsed current) on muscle architecture and neuromuscular performance of competitive athletes. A double-blind controlled and randomized experimental study was carried out with 33 athletes (22.2±2.6 yrs, 74.7±9.8 kg, 176.8±6.0 cm), divided into 3 groups: mid-frequency current (MF, n=12), pulsed current (PC, n=11) and the control group (CG, n=10). Quadriceps maximal voluntary peak torque (PT) and corresponding vastus lateralis electromyographic activity, evoked torque (PT-NMES), vastus lateralis muscle thickness, fascicle length, pennation angle, and level of discomfort were assessed before and after the interventions. NMES training was performed 3 times per week and consisted of 18 sessions, 15 min/session, 6 s duration in each contraction interspersed with 18 s rest. After the training period, muscle thickness increased in the MF and PC groups (p<0.05). PT-NMES increased only in the PC group (p<0.05). All currents produced similar levels of discomfort (p>0.05). Quadriceps NMES training applied through alternated or pulsed currents produced similar effects in architecture and neuromuscular performance in competitive athletes.

Key words

Muscle training - evoked torque - muscle architecture - neuromuscular performance
 

  • References

  • 1 Alegre LM, Ferri-Morales A, Rodriguez-Casares R, Aguado X. Effects of isometric training on the knee extensor moment-angle relationship and vastus lateralis muscle architecture. Eur J Appl Physiol 2014; 114: 2437-2446
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41: 687-708
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Babault N, Cometti G, Bernardin M, Pousson M, Chatard JC. Effects of electromyostimulation training on muscle strength and power of elite rugby players. J Strength Cond Res 2007; 21: 431-437
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Bickel CS, Slade JM, Haddad F, Adams GR, Dudley GA. Acute molecular responses of skeletal muscle to resistance exercise in able-bodied and spinal cord-injured subjects. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2003; 94: 2255-2262
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Billot M, Martin A, Paizis C, Cometti C, Babault N. Effects of an electrostimulation training program on strength, jumping, and kicking capacities in soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 2010; 24: 1407-1413
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Blazevich AJ, Gill ND, Bronks R, Newton RU. Training-specific muscle architecture adaptation after 5-wk training in athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2003; 35: 2013-2022
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Blazevich AJ, Gill ND, Zhou S. Intra- and intermuscular variation in human quadriceps femoris architecture assessed in vivo. J Anat 2006; 209: 289-310
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Brocherie F, Babault N, Cometti G, Maffiuletti N, Chatard JC. Electrostimulation training effects on the physical performance of ice hockey players. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2005; 37: 455-460
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 da Silva VZ, Durigan JL, Arena R, de Noronha M, Gurney B, Cipriano Jr G. Current evidence demonstrates similar effects of kilohertz-frequency and low-frequency current on quadriceps evoked torque and discomfort in healthy individuals: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Physiother Theory Pract 2015; 31: 533-539
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Dantas LO, Vieira A, Siqueira Jr. AL, Salvini TF, Durigan JL. Comparison between the effects of 4 different electrical stimulation current waveforms on isometric knee extension torque and perceived discomfort in healthy women. Muscle Nerve 2015; 51: 76-82
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Delitto A, Strube MJ, Shulman AD, Minor SD. A study of discomfort with electrical stimulation. Phys Ther 1992; 72: 410-421 discussion on 421–414
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Filipovic A, Kleinoder H, Dormann U, Mester J. Electromyostimulation--a systematic review of the influence of training regimens and stimulation parameters on effectiveness in electromyostimulation training of selected strength parameters. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25: 3218-3238
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Gobbo M, Gaffurini P, Bissolotti L, Esposito F, Orizio C. Transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation: influence of electrode positioning and stimulus amplitude settings on muscle response. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011; 111: 2451-2459
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Gondin J, Guette M, Ballay Y, Martin A. Electromyostimulation training effects on neural drive and muscle architecture. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2005; 37: 1291-1299
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Gorgey AS, Black CD, Elder CP, Dudley GA. Effects of electrical stimulation parameters on fatigue in skeletal muscle. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2009; 39: 684-692
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Gorgey AS, Dudley GA. The role of pulse duration and stimulation duration in maximizing the normalized torque during neuromuscular electrical stimulation. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2008; 38: 508-516
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Gorgey AS, Mahoney E, Kendall T, Dudley GA. Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation parameters on specific tension. Eur J Appl Physiol 2006; 97: 737-744
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Harriss DJ, Macsween A, Atkinson G. Standards for ethics in sport and exercise science research: 2018 update. Int J Sports Med 2017; 38: 1126-1131
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Kayvan MS, Maffiuletti NA. Effect of electromyostimulation training on muscle strength and sports performance. Strength Cond J 2011; 33: 70-75
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Laufer Y, Ries JD, Leininger PM, Alon G. Quadriceps femoris muscle torques and fatigue generated by neuromuscular electrical stimulation with three different waveforms. Phys Ther 2001; 81: 1307-1316
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Liebano RE, Waszczuk Jr. S, Correa JB. The effect of burst-duty-cycle parameters of medium-frequency alternating current on maximum electrically induced torque of the quadriceps femoris, discomfort, and tolerated current amplitude in professional soccer players. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2013; 43: 920-926
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Maffiuletti NA. Physiological and methodological considerations for the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation. Eur J Appl Physiol 2010; 110: 223-234
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Maffiuletti NA, Bramanti J, Jubeau M, Bizzini M, Deley G, Cometti G. Feasibility and efficacy of progressive electrostimulation strength training for competitive tennis players. J Strength Cond Res 2009; 23: 677-682
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Maffiuletti NA, Cometti G, Amiridis IG, Martin A, Pousson M, Chatard JC. The effects of electromyostimulation training and basketball practice on muscle strength and jumping ability. Int J Sports Med 2000; 21: 437-443
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Maffiuletti NA, Minetto MA, Farina D, Bottinelli R. Electrical stimulation for neuromuscular testing and training: State-of-the-art and unresolved issues. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011; 111: 2391-2397
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Malatesta D, Cattaneo F, Dugnani S, Maffiuletti NA. Effects of electromyostimulation training and volleyball practice on jumping ability. J Strength Cond Res 2003; 17: 573-579
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 McMahon G, Morse CI, Burden A, Winwood K, Onambele GL. Muscular adaptations and insulin-like growth factor-1 responses to resistance training are stretch-mediated. Muscle Nerve 2014; 49: 108-119
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Medeiros FV, Bottaro M, Vieira A, Lucas TP, Modesto KA, Bo APL, Cipriano Jr. G, Babault N, Durigan JLQ. Kilohertz and low-frequency electrical stimulation with the same pulse duration have similar efficiency for inducing isometric knee extension torque and discomfort. Am J Phys Med Rehab 2017; 96: 388-394
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Miyatani M, Kanehisa H, Fukunaga T. Validity of bioelectrical impedance and ultrasonographic methods for estimating the muscle volume of the upper arm. Eur J Appl Physiol 2000; 82: 391-396
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Parker MG, Keller L, Evenson J. Torque responses in human quadriceps to burst-modulated alternating current at 3 carrier frequencies. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2005; 35: 239-245
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Selkowitz DM, Rossman EG, Fitzpatrick S. Effect of burst-modulated alternating current carrier frequency on current amplitude required to produce maximally tolerated electrically stimulated quadriceps femoris knee extension torque. Am J Phys Med Rehab 2009; 88: 973-978
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Shea CH, Kohl RM. Specificity and variability of practice. Res Q Exerc Sport 1990; 61: 169-177
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Snyder-Mackler L, Garrett M, Roberts M. A comparison of torque generating capabilities of three different electrical stimulating currents. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1989; 10: 297-301
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Stevens-Lapsley JE, Balter JE, Wolfe P, Eckhoff DG, Schwartz RS, Schenkman M, Kohrt WM. Relationship between intensity of quadriceps muscle neuromuscular electrical stimulation and strength recovery after total knee arthroplasty. Phys Ther 2012; 92: 1187-1196
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Stevenson SW, Dudley GA. Dietary creatine supplementation and muscular adaptation to resistive overload. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001; 33: 1304-1310
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Tesarz J, Schuster AK, Hartmann M, Gerhardt A, Eich W. Pain perception in athletes compared to normally active controls: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Pain 2012; 153: 1253-1262
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Venable MP, Collins MA, O'Bryant HS, Denegar CR, Sedivec MJ, Alons G. Effect of supplemental electrical stimulation on the development of strength, vertical jump performance and power. J Strength Cond Res 1991; 5: 139-143
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Ward AR. Electrical stimulation using kilohertz-frequency alternating current. Phys Ther 2009; 89: 181-190
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Ward AR, Oliver WG, Buccella D. Wrist extensor torque production and discomfort associated with low-frequency and burst-modulated kilohertz-frequency currents. Phys Ther 2006; 86: 1360-1367
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar