Effect of abdominal electrical muscle stimulation training with and without superimposed voluntary muscular contraction on lumbopelvic control

Abstract

Context: Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) was designed for artificial muscle activation or superimposed training. Objectives: To compare the effects of 8 weeks of superimposed technique (ST; application of electrical stimulation during a voluntary muscle action) and EMS on the cross-sectional area of the rectus abdominis, lateral abdominal wall, and on lumbopelvic control. Setting: University research laboratory. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Participants: Fifty healthy subjects were recruited and randomly assigned to either the ST or EMS group. Intervention: The participants engaged with the electrical stimulation techniques (ST or EMS) for 8 weeks. Main Outcome Measures: In all participants, the cross-sectional area of the rectus abdominis and lateral abdominal wall was measured by magnetic resonance imaging and lumbopelvic control, quantified using the single-leg and double-leg lowering tests. Results: There were no significant differences in the cross-sectional area of the rectus abdominis (right: P =.70, left: P =.99) or lateral abdominal wall (right: P =.07, left: P =.69) between groups. There was a significant difference between groups in the double-leg lowering test (P =.03), but not in the single-leg lowering test (P =.88). There were significant differences between the preintervention and postintervention in the single-leg (P