Quick Overview

Most people assume the key to better muscle results is simply training harder. But a 2025 study published by Springer Nature — analyzing 13 independent trials and 374 real participants — found something that quietly challenges that assumption. Researchers from universities in the United States and Australia discovered that people who added EMS to their existing training developed significantly greater muscle strength and mass than those who trained without it. The full details of how, and why it matters, are worth reading.

We always provide direct links to the original research at the end of every article so you can review the evidence yourself.

13 Studies, 374 People, One Clear Result — This Is What EMS Does to Your Muscle Gains

And the research, published by one of the world's most respected scientific institutions, makes for very compelling reading.

There's a question that keeps coming up among people serious about their fitness results: does using EMS technology during training actually make a difference — or is it just a feeling?

For years, the fitness world has debated it. Now, a team of scientists has done the deep work to find out. Their conclusion? Using Electrical Muscle Stimulation alongside your training doesn't just complement your workout. According to their findings, it could meaningfully amplify what your body achieves from it.

The Scientists Behind the Research

This wasn't a quick experiment thrown together over a weekend. This was a rigorous systematic review and meta-analysis — the gold standard of scientific research — led by a team spanning two countries and two respected institutions.

The study was authored by researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso, a well-established research university in the United States, and — notably for Australian readers — from Victoria University in Melbourne, home to the Institute for Health and Sport and the Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science. Real scientists. Real labs. Real accountability.

And the work wasn't self-published on a blog or shared in a newsletter. It was reviewed by independent experts and published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology — a peer-reviewed journal distributed globally by Springer Nature, one of Germany's most prestigious scientific publishing houses and a titan of academic science with over 175 years of publishing history. When Springer Nature puts its name on a study, the scientific community takes notice.

What Did the Research Actually Look At?

The team set out to answer one clear question: if you combine EMS with resistance training, do you get better results than resistance training alone?

They didn't just run one experiment. They searched through thousands of studies across multiple major databases — EBSCO, PubMed, Google Scholar, ResearchGate — and identified the studies that met strict scientific standards. The result was 13 randomised controlled trials involving 374 real participants, ranging in age from 16 to 84, across healthy adults, active individuals, and older populations.

Every study included in the analysis had one thing in common: it directly compared people who trained with EMS combined with exercise against people who trained using exercise alone — and measured the outcome in two key areas: muscle strength and muscle mass.

The Results That Matter to You

Here's where it gets interesting for anyone who cares about building a stronger, more defined body.

Across all 13 studies, the group that added EMS to their training consistently came out ahead — not just in one or two studies, but as a statistically significant pattern across the entire body of evidence.

For muscle strength, the analysis showed a clear, statistically meaningful advantage in favour of the combined EMS and exercise group. Four studies found significant improvements favouring the EMS-and-training group, with one additional study reporting a medium effect size trending in the same direction.

For muscle mass — the real headline for anyone chasing a leaner, more toned physique — six studies tracked body composition changes, and again, the combined group pulled ahead. Studies running eight weeks or longer were particularly compelling, with researchers noting that longer training durations appeared to produce more noticeable differences in muscle development between the two groups.

The researchers concluded that adding EMS to a training session leads to greater gains in both muscle strength and muscle mass compared to training without it.

Why Does EMS Appear to Make the Difference?

The science behind why this happens is genuinely fascinating.

Traditional exercise works through voluntary muscle contractions — your brain sends a signal, your muscles respond, and you build strength over time. EMS technology works differently. It delivers gentle electrical impulses that stimulate the muscle directly, triggering what scientists call involuntary contractions — essentially, your muscles working at a level your brain alone might not reach.

What makes this particularly interesting is which muscle fibres get activated. Research cited in the study suggests that EMS tends to engage larger motor units — the ones associated with more powerful, glycolytic muscle fibres — even at lower intensities. These are the fibres linked to muscle tone, strength, and visible definition. When you layer that kind of stimulation over conventional movement and exercise, the body is essentially receiving a more complete training signal.

The study also found that higher frequency EMS (at or above 85 Hz) was associated with greater strength outcomes — reinforcing the idea that the quality and consistency of the stimulation matters.

Who Can Benefit?

The research covered a broad population — from teenagers and athletic adults to sedentary individuals and elderly participants — which gives these findings a wide relevance. Whether you're already active and looking to maximise your training results, or you're newer to exercise and want to build muscle tone more efficiently, the research points in the same direction.

The studies favoring the greatest gains tended to involve participants who were already somewhat physically active — suggesting that for those who are already moving and exercising, adding EMS to your routine may offer a meaningful boost.

The Bottom Line

This research matters because it's not a single study, a small sample, or a finding from an unknown lab. It is a carefully assembled analysis of 13 independent trials, conducted across multiple countries, reviewed by peers, and published by one of the most respected names in scientific publishing on the planet.

The conclusion reached by the research team is clear: combining EMS with training produces greater improvements in muscle strength and muscle mass than training alone.

For anyone working toward a stronger, leaner, more toned body — that's a finding worth knowing about.

This article summarises findings from Narvaez et al. (2025), "The additive effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and resistance training on muscle mass and strength," published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, Springer Nature. EMS devices are fitness and wellness accessories. Individual results vary.

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Research Summary

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