Effects of Acute Microcurrent Electrical Stimulation on Muscle Function and Subsequent Recovery Strategy

Alessandro Piras, Lorenzo Zini, Aurelio Trofè, Francesco Campa and Milena Raffi
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Alessandro Piras: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Lorenzo Zini: Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Aurelio Trofè: Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Francesco Campa: Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Milena Raffi: Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulation (MENS) is believed to alter blood flow, increasing cutaneous blood perfusion, with vasodilation and hyperemia. According to these physiological mechanisms, we investigated the short-term effects of MENS on constant-load exercise and the subsequent recovery process. Ten healthy subjects performed, on separate days, constant-load cycling, which was preceded and followed by active or inactive stimulation to the right quadricep. Blood lactate, pulmonary oxygen, and muscle deoxyhemoglobin on-transition kinetics were recorded. Hemodynamic parameters, heart rate variability, and baroreflex sensitivity were collected and used as a tool to investigate the recovery process. Microcurrent stimulation caused a faster deoxyhemoglobin (4.43 ± 0.5 vs. 5.80 ± 0.5 s) and a slower VO 2 (25.19 ± 2.1 vs. 21.94 ± 1.3 s) on-kinetics during cycling, with higher lactate levels immediately after treatments executed before exercise (1.55 ± 0.1 vs. 1.40 ± 0.1 mmol/L) and after exercise (2.15 ± 0.1 vs. 1.79 ± 0.1 mmol/L). In conclusion, MENS applied before exercise produced an increase in oxygen extraction at muscle microvasculature. In contrast, MENS applied after exercise improved recovery, with the sympathovagal balance shifted toward a state of parasympathetic predominance. MENS also caused higher lactate values, which may be due to the magnitude of the muscular stress by both manual treatment and electrical stimulation than control condition in which the muscle received only a manual treatment.

Keywords: MENS; oxygen consumption; deoxyhemoglobin kinetics; near-infrared spectroscopy; lactate; cycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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