title: Acute metabolic, hormonal, and psychological responses to strength training with superimposed EMS at the beginning and the end of a 6 week training period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to determine metabolic and hormonal responses to strength training with or without superimposed electromyostimulation (EMS) at the beginning and the end of a 6 week training period.
  
  
  METHODS
  20 strength trained subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group (S) performed 4 sets of back squats with a constantly adjusted additional load of their individual 10 repetition maximum (10 RM) twice a week over 6 weeks. The second group (S+E) did the same training program with superimposed EMS on leg and trunk muscles. Physiological responses were determined before and after the first (TS 1) and the last training session (TS 12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences of hormonal responses could be observed between groups and TSs. However, small to large effects on metabolism occurred between groups and TSs. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) was significantly higher 48h after TS 1 for S+E.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a higher DOMS after S+E, there is no acute effect of superimposed EMS on hormonal response to exhaustive resistance exercise. We suggest that, because of the high resistance during 10 RM bouts, most of the muscle fibers are already activated and superimposed EMS only activates few additional muscle fibers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Training Science and Sport Informatics, German Sport University, Cologne. The German Research Center of Elite Sport, Cologne.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kleinöder
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wechsler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Achtzehn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mester
mesh_terms: D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones