Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation training on muscle size in collegiate track and field athletes

Taku Wakahara, Ayumu Shiraogawa, Taku Wakahara, Ayumu Shiraogawa

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation training for 12 weeks on the abdominal muscle size in trained athletes. Male collegiate track and field athletes participated in the present study and were randomly allocated to either training or control groups. Eleven participants of the training group completed a 60-session training program over a 12-week period (23 min/session, 5 days/week) involving neuromuscular electrical stimulation (mostly 20 Hz) for the abdominal muscles in addition to their usual training for the own events. The participants of the control group (n = 13) continued their usual training. Before and after the intervention period, cross-sectional areas of the rectus abdominis and abdominal oblique muscles (the internal and external obliques and transversus abdominis) and subcutaneous fat thickness were measured with magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging. There were no significant changes in cross-sectional area of the rectus abdominis or abdominal oblique muscles or in subcutaneous fat thickness in the training or control groups after the intervention period. The change in cross-sectional area of the rectus abdominis in each participant was not significantly correlated with pre-training cross-sectional area and neither was the mean value of fat thickness at pre- and post-training. These results suggest that low-frequency (20 Hz) neuromuscular electrical stimulation training for 12 weeks is ineffective in inducing hypertrophy of the abdominal muscles in trained athletes, even when they have a thin layer of subcutaneous fat.

Conflict of interest statement

I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: This study received funding from MTG Co., Ltd., which made the NMES device used in the present study. However, the authors do not have any personal relationships or competing interests to the funder. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Fig 1. A typical magnetic resonance image…
Fig 1. A typical magnetic resonance image of the trunk.
The white broken lines are the borders of muscles. RA, rectus abdominis; AO, abdominal oblique muscles (internal and external obliques and transversus abdominis).
Fig 2. A typical ultrasound image of…
Fig 2. A typical ultrasound image of the abdomen.
The white broken line shows the border between subcutaneous fat and the rectus abdominis.
Fig 3. The level of neuromuscular electrical…
Fig 3. The level of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in each training session.
The participants selected the maximum stimulation intensity that they could tolerate for each session. Intensity levels ranged from 1 to 15. NMES, neuromuscular electrical stimulation.
Fig 4. The relationship between cross-sectional area…
Fig 4. The relationship between cross-sectional area of the rectus abdominis at pretraining and its changes after training.
RA, rectus abdominis; CSA, cross-sectional area. (A) The relationship between RA CSA at pretraining and the absolute change in the CSA. (B) The relationship between RA CSA at pretraining and the relative change in the CSA.
Fig 5. The relationship between mean fat…
Fig 5. The relationship between mean fat thickness of pre- and post-training and changes in cross-sectional area of the rectus abdominis after training.
RA, rectus abdominis; CSA, cross-sectional area. (A) The relationship between mean fat thickness and the absolute change in RA CSA. (B) The relationship between mean fat thickness and the relative change in the CSA.

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