Quick Overview

A groundbreaking 2010 study on postmenopausal women who already train regularly revealed impressive benefits from adding whole body EMS.

Using a full body EMS system for just 2 × 20 minutes per week on top of normal training delivered outstanding results.

The whole body EMS group maintained their resting metabolic rate, reduced body fat by 28.6%, shrunk waist circumference by 22.3%, and increased trunk and leg strength by nearly 10% — while the control group actually declined in metabolism and strength.

If you’re a woman over 50 who already trains regularly, you’ve likely noticed how much harder it is to stay lean and strong after menopause. Even with consistent endurance and strength workouts, many women still see their metabolism slow down, stubborn body fat (especially around the waist) creep up, and maximum strength gradually slip away.

A 2010 study has a very practical answer to this common frustration: adding whole body EMS to your existing training routine.

Here’s exactly what happened when trained postmenopausal women did just that.

What Is Whole Body EMS?

Whole body EMS uses a full body EMS system — a specialised suit with electrodes placed over all the major muscle groups (legs, arms, glutes, abs, back, and chest). While you perform light dynamic exercises, the full body EMS system delivers electrical impulses that cause your muscles to contract powerfully and simultaneously.

Each session is short (just 20 minutes) and is performed twice per week alongside your normal training. It’s not a replacement for exercise — it’s a highly efficient add-on that delivers superior results in resting metabolic rate, body composition, and maximum strength.

The Study: The Training and ElectroStimulation Trial (TEST)

German researchers recruited 30 postmenopausal women (average age 64.5 years) who had already been training consistently for more than three years. All of them continued their regular program: two 60-minute sessions per week of endurance training plus dynamic strength exercises.

Half the group was randomly assigned to also perform whole body EMS twice per week (2 × 20 minutes) using a full body EMS system. The other half served as the control group and did only their usual training.

After 14 weeks, the researchers measured changes in resting metabolic rate, body composition, and maximum strength.

The Results Were Impressive — Here’s How Whole Body EMS Helps You

1. Metabolism (Resting Metabolic Rate) The control group saw their resting metabolic rate drop by 3.2 kcal per hour. The women who added whole body EMS maintained their resting metabolic rate almost perfectly (only −0.1 kcal per hour).

Maintaining resting metabolic rate during and after menopause is a major win — it helps your body keep burning calories more efficiently even at rest.

2. Body Fat & Body Composition This is where whole body EMS stood out most clearly:

• Sum of skinfolds (a direct measure of body fat) decreased by 28.6% in the whole body EMS group.
• Waist circumference dropped by 22.3% (a strong sign of reduced abdominal fat).

In contrast, the regular-training-only group actually saw small increases in both skinfold thickness and waist size. Whole body EMS delivered dramatically better body composition results.

3. Maximum Strength

 Even though both groups were already doing strength training, the results were dramatically different:

• Trunk extensor strength increased by 9.9% in the whole body EMS group.
• Leg extensor strength increased by 9.6%.

The control group lost strength over the same period (−6.4% in the trunk and −4.5% in the legs). Whole body EMS turned strength decline into significant gains.

Why These Findings Matter for Postmenopausal Women

Menopause often brings hormonal shifts that make it easier to lose muscle and gain fat. This study is especially valuable because the women were already active and experienced — they weren’t beginners. Adding whole body EMS on top of their normal training still produced clear extra benefits in resting metabolic rate, body fat reduction, and maximum strength.

The women also loved it: attendance for the whole body EMS sessions was an impressive 98%, showing the full body EMS system is both highly effective and easy to stick with.

Practical Takeaways

If you’re already training regularly but feel like your results have plateaued after menopause, adding whole body EMS could be the smart, time-efficient upgrade you’ve been looking for. The 20-minute sessions using a full body EMS system deliver meaningful improvements without requiring longer or heavier workouts.

Whole body EMS appears particularly helpful for:

• Maintaining resting metabolic rate
• Significantly reducing overall body fat and waist size
• Building and preserving maximum strength as you age

Important note: Whole body EMS works best when combined with consistent training and good nutrition. It is not a standalone “magic fix,” but a powerful complement that exceeds the effects of endurance and strength training alone.

Final Thoughts

The evidence is clear: when postmenopausal women add whole body EMS to their regular endurance and strength training, they see better outcomes for metabolism, body fat, and strength — even in a relatively short 14-week period.

If you’ve been wondering whether there’s a smarter way to train after menopause, this study suggests that adding whole body EMS with a full body EMS system might be exactly the edge you need.

Have you tried whole body EMS before? Would you consider adding it to your routine? Drop a comment below — I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Link to original study: Click Here

More EMS Research Scientists Are Studying

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• Can EMS increase calorie burn while sitting?

• Can EMS improve athletic  training?

• Can EMS play a role in muscle loss & frailty?

• Can EMS reduce pain? 

• EMS vs TENS: What are the differences?

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