Enhance your workout: Electrical muscle stimulation (NMES) dramatically boosts muscle growth and strength gains, according to a new meta-analysis. Professor Sudip Bajpeyi’s research reveals that combining NMES with resistance training yields superior results compared to resistance training alone. Study participants using NMES with exercises like bench presses and squats experienced significant improvements, with longer training periods showing even greater gains. This innovative method utilizes electrical currents to trigger involuntary muscle contractions, mimicking the brain’s natural muscle activation. Explore how NMES may also help regulate blood glucose levels.For the latest insights,visit News Directory 3. Discover what’s next in metabolic health advancement.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation Boosts Strength and Mass
Updated June 15, 2025
Adding electrical muscle stimulation (NMES) to your workout routine may considerably improve muscle mass and strength, according to a new study. Sudip Bajpeyi, a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), led a meta-analysis exploring the benefits of using NMES during resistance training.
The meta-analysis, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, combined results from over a dozen studies.The findings indicate that incorporating NMES with resistance exercises yields better results than resistance training alone. NMES devices, readily available on the market, use electrical currents to stimulate muscle contractions.
Bajpeyi’s team analyzed research where participants performed exercises like bench presses and squats while using NMES. The studies compared muscle mass and strength gains between those using electrical stimulators and those who did not. Training periods ranged from two to 16 weeks, with longer durations showing more significant improvements.
Under normal conditions, the brain activates muscles. NMES mimics this process by delivering external electrical currents to the nerves, causing involuntary muscle contractions, Bajpeyi said.
Bajpeyi directs the Metabolic Nutrition and Exercise Research (MiNER) lab at UTEP. His team investigates how NMES and other interventions can improve physical and metabolic health. Currently, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, Bajpeyi is studying how NMES might regulate blood glucose levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
“Exercise is medicine, but not everyone is able or willing to engage in conventional exercise,” Bajpeyi said. “NMES has great potential for improving metabolic health by building muscle mass, which can help the body process blood glucose more effectively.”
What’s next
Bajpeyi’s forthcoming study results will further explore the potential of NMES in managing blood glucose levels.
