General information
EMS is the abbreviation for electromyostimulation, where “myo” stands for the muscle. It is therefore an electrical stimulation of a muscle by means of current pulses. This method is currently very popular in German fitness studios.
The goal of EMS training is to burn fat and build muscle. EMS training can be done without dumbbells or weights. EMS training can be seen as a useful addition to an existing training plan, but should rarely be done in isolation.
A doctor should always be consulted beforehand to exclude and minimize health risks. In addition, such training should always be conducted in the presence of a professional to ensure proper execution. Ideally, 100% cotton clothing should be worn during the training, as this guarantees optimal conductivity. In terms of price, you have to dig a little deeper into your pocket for an EMS training than for a conventional training. Per session you have to plan between 20 and 30 Euro.
Functionality
During electromyostimulation, the user wears tight functional underwear to which electrodes are attached. These electrodes send tiny current pulses to the skeletal muscles. There, the muscle cell is excited directly by electrical stimuli.
EMS works with so-called low frequencies of up to 150 impulses per second and low currents below 100 mA (milli-amperes). Normally, the muscles are excited and thus activated by nerve impulses during training. During EMS training, these impulses are set externally and last longer than the nerve impulses normally do.
The additional electrical impulses are intended to activate the entire musculature and thus accelerate muscle growth – much more effectively than during normal strength training. Variation possibilities are offered by the different frequencies with which different types of muscle fibers can be addressed. This means that both slow and fast muscle fibers can be trained in the muscle. For example, fast muscle fibers are responsible for the ability to sprint, slow muscle fibers for endurance. Especially the stimulation of the fast muscle fibers is responsible for the faster muscle build-up through EMS training.