Is EMS training safe?

Many experts question the safety of muscle electrostimulation, recommending that it be used by professionals and those trained in the field. So what are the risks to the EMS user and how do you ensure safety when using electrodes?

How does EMS work?

Electrical muscle stimulation is done by placing electrodes on different parts of the body or muscle groups. Electrical Muscle Stimulation ( EMS) training works by stimulating each muscle that is being worked to increase contraction, making it stronger. Electrodes are applied using sticky pads. Other methods use vests that hold the electrodes.

Who is EMS designed for?

Muscle electrostimulation can benefit most people, but it can only enhance a workout, not replace it completely. If you simply put on electrodes, you won’t get the same results as someone who uses them and in addition does strength training.

Electrical muscle stimulation began as a way to work with people with neuromuscular problems, helping them to contract muscles that may be difficult to use. The method can be especially helpful for people suffering from multiple sclerosis. EMS allows them to exercise more than they otherwise would because they don’t have to exert the same amount of effort, thanks to the stimulation helping them to exercise. Workouts can also help people who are paralyzed.

If it’s a spinal cord injury and the injured can’t control their muscles at all, the movement is completely driven by electronic muscle stimulation. For people with more severe spinal cord injuries who cannot control their upper extremities, EMS is used to lift things and control the muscles in the hands so they can grasp and lift things. In this case, the stimulator is literally used to make movements.

Risks of EMS training

Electrical muscle stimulation can be done in a supervised setting or with over-the-counter products, but some experts recommend caution when using these options at home.

Never use anything, especially something like this, without consulting your doctor. You should always check with someone before you buy something without a professional’s recommendation. By putting on electrodes and doing intense strength training with electrical stimulation, if you are not used to it, you can certainly expose yourself to accidents.

You run the risk of getting burned or having your skin damaged by the electrodes. The biggest danger with electrical stimulation and the use of sticky electrodes to generate current is that if the electrodes do not make good contact with the skin, are not fully integral, or the frequency is set too high, the skin can break and be damaged. It can also hurt when the current flows through you.

EMS can also cause kidney damage. If electrical muscle stimulation is used incorrectly, it can cause muscle damage, as we mentioned above. When this happens, small muscle particles are released into the bloodstream, which can damage the kidneys. Muscle damage occurs when high-intensity training increases levels of creatine kinase (CK), an enzyme that normally provides muscle with energy. People who experience pain, heart palpitations or weakness after EMS training should see a doctor immediately.

Safety

The safety aspect plays an important role in EMS training, leading to a definite added responsibility for the trainer and trainee. Since a large part of the load is achieved by intense electrical stimulation of the muscles, it is not only the trainer’s task to ensure that the exercises are performed correctly: the intensity of the electrostimulation must always be adjusted to the athlete’s individual resilience and, if necessary, it must be reduced immediately. Only in this way can the threatening overload that can quickly arise during EMS training be ruled out with certainty.

Since the load, which is individually configured, requires more attention to intensity to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the exercise, the break between two workouts should be at least 4 days.

Featured Image: MEON EMS