Quick Overview
French scientists at the University of Burgundy tested EMS on 17 competitive ice hockey players. Nine received three weeks of short sessions while eight acted as controls. Researchers measured isokinetic strength of the knee extensors with a Biodex dynamometer and timed 10-metre and 30-metre skates on ice.
The EMS group gained 37 percent more eccentric strength and up to 49 percent more concentric strength. Their 10-metre skating time improved from 2.18 to 2.07 seconds.
These factual gains suggest EMS can help ice hockey players and other sports athletes develop stronger leg power for faster starts and explosive movements.
Published in the respected Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal, the study offers clear, trustworthy evidence. Read the full post for every measured result and what it means for athletes.
We always provide direct links to the original research at the end of every article so you can review the evidence yourself.
French scientists put ice hockey players to the test.
They wanted to know if short bursts of EMS could boost real performance on the ice.
Seventeen competitive players from the French Ice Hockey Federation League Division II took part.
Nine received electromyostimulation on their knee extensors.
Eight continued normal training as controls.
The EMS sessions lasted just twelve minutes each.
Players completed thirty contractions of four seconds at 85 Hz.
They trained three times a week for three weeks only.
After the program the electrostimulated group showed clear gains.
Isokinetic strength of the knee extensors rose significantly.
Eccentric torque jumped 37 percent at the faster speed and 24 percent at the slower one.
Concentric torque climbed 41 percent at 60 degrees per second and 49 percent at 300 degrees per second.
Their short-sprint skating also improved.
Average 10-metre times dropped from 2.18 seconds to 2.07 seconds.
That is a meaningful edge in the explosive first strides of a game.
Repeated-jump power increased as well.
This points to better muscle endurance under fatigue.
The research was led by Franck Brocherie, Nicolas Babault, Gilles Cometti, Nicola Maffiuletti and Jean-Claude Chatard.
They worked at the University of Burgundy in Dijon, Marc Bloch University in Strasbourg and the Laboratory of Physiology in Saint-Étienne.
France has a long tradition of rigorous sports science.
The study appeared in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the flagship journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
It is one of the most respected publications in the field.
These results suggest that regular EMS training can lift knee-extensor strength and short skating speed in trained ice hockey players.
Athletes in other explosive sports may find the same pattern useful.
The evidence remains specific to the group studied, yet it adds solid support for EMS as a time-efficient tool for muscular development.
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Research Summary
| Research Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full study title | Electrostimulation Training Effects on the Physical Performance of Ice Hockey Players |
| Lead researchers | Franck Brocherie, Nicolas Babault, Gilles Cometti, Nicola Maffiuletti, Jean-Claude Chatard |
| Research centres | University of Burgundy (Dijon), Marc Bloch University (Strasbourg), Laboratory of Physiology (Saint-Étienne), France |
| Publishing journal | Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine) |
| Publication year and volume | 2005, Volume 37, Issue 3, pages 455–460 |
| Original study link | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15741845/ |
| Study purpose | To examine the effect of a short-term EMS training programme on knee-extensor strength, skating speed and vertical-jump performance in ice hockey players |
| Participants | 17 competitive ice hockey players from the French Ice Hockey Federation League, Division II (mean age 22.6 ± 4.5 years) |
| Group allocation | Nine players assigned to the electromyostimulation (ES) group and eight to the control group |
| EMS protocol | Nine sessions over three weeks (three sessions per week), each lasting 12 minutes with 30 contractions of 4 seconds at 85 Hz |
| Stimulation intensity target | At least 60 % of each player’s maximal voluntary isometric force |
| Key strength finding | Isokinetic torque of the knee extensors rose significantly in the ES group (eccentric gains of 37.1 % at –120°·s⁻¹ and 24.2 % at –60°·s⁻¹; concentric gains of 41.3 % at 60°·s⁻¹ and 49.2 % at 300°·s⁻¹) |
| Skating performance result | 10-metre skating time improved significantly from 2.18 ± 0.20 s to 2.07 ± 0.09 s after the three-week EMS period |
| Repeated-jump power | Mean power during 15 consecutive countermovement jumps increased by 14.3 % in the ES group |
| Overall conclusion of the study | A three-week EMS programme of the knee extensors significantly enhanced isokinetic strength and short skating performance in competitive ice hockey player |
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