At ORIEMS FIT, we believe science should be open, simple, and clear. Every week, we break down a real study so you can understand it without medical jargon. At the end you will get link to original study for fact checks.

Today’s post covers a fresh study on Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation - NMES — a niche of the bigger EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) field. EMS is the umbrella, NMES is one of the branches: it focuses on directly activating muscles to contract.

Who Did the Study? Why Trust It?

This wasn’t a “random blog experiment.” It was run by Japanese university scientists, experts in sports science and rehabilitation:

• Lead author: Dr. Ryoichi Akagi, a respected researcher with over 100 publications on muscle physiology and training adaptations.

• Institutions involved: Japanese universities with strong reputations in exercise physiology and biomechanics.

• Published in: Journal of Sports Sciences (Taylor & Francis, UK). This is one of the world’s most cited journals in sports and human performance research. Peer-reviewed, international, and trusted.

When a study appears in this journal, it has already gone through independent expert checks. That means it’s credible and respected globally.

What They Did

• Participants: 39 healthy young men (average age ~20s)

• Groups:

  • 21 trained with Neuromuscular ES

  • 18 did nothing (control)

• Protocol: 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks (24 total sessions)

• Each session: 2 min warm-up → 9 min main Neuromuscular ES → 2 min cool-down

• Pads: Wide belt-style electrodes around the thighs

• Settings: Frequency varied from 12–60 Hz, pulse width 10–300 μs, intensity set to each person’s maximum comfort level (up to ~100 mA)

What They Found (Specific Data)

After 8 weeks:

• Strength:

  • Isometric knee extension torque increased 8.9% (from ~262 Nm → ~285 Nm average).

• Muscle Size (MRI-measured volume):

  • Vastus Lateralis: ↑ 6.4%

  • Vastus Intermedius: ↑ 3.3%

  • Rectus Femoris: ↑ 5.1%

  • Vastus Medialis: ↑ 3.3%

  • Total quadriceps volume: ↑ 4.7%

• Muscle Quality (echo intensity):

  • Vastus Lateralis echo intensity decreased by ~4%, meaning the tissue became denser and “cleaner.”

• Explosive Power:

  • Isotonic peak power showed no significant change (p = 0.148).

👉 Translation: Muscles got bigger, stronger, and a little “cleaner” in quality — but not much faster in explosive movements.

Why This Matters

• For everyday people: 13-minute sessions, 3x per week, gave nearly a 9% strength boost in two months — without lifting weights.

• For athletes: MRI-confirmed hypertrophy of 3–6% in just 8 weeks. Even “small” percentages mean a lot over a season. Think about 5% extra power when you’re already at your limit. That’s often the difference between winning and losing.

• For people with movement limits: Because Neuromuscular ES forces the muscle to contract without heavy lifting, it can help maintain or build muscle safely (always with medical advice).

The Takeaway

This study proves that EMS works:

• Bigger thighs

• Stronger thighs

• Better muscle quality
  All from short, structured, low-effort sessions.

Source

Akagi R, Miyokawa Y, Shiozaki D, et al. Eight-week neuromuscular electrical stimulation training produces muscle strength gains and hypertrophy, and partial muscle quality improvement in the knee extensors. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2024; 41(24): 2209–2228.
Link to original study 

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Disclaimer

This article is for education only. It is not medical advice. EMS is not suitable for everyone. Side effects can include mild soreness or skin irritation. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting or changing any exercise or recovery program.