Restoration of the work capacity of the skeletal muscle with electrical myostimulation (R-325010, revision 4)

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of applying mild electrical myostimulation (EMS) or passive rest (PR) on restoring the work capacity (WC) of the skeletal muscles in athletes. Nineteen long-distance runners participated in the study. We divided them into two groups according to the principle of rotation: a PR (control) and an EMS (experimental) group. We examined them before training and 10 min, 4 h, and 18 h after it. Muscle motor function was measured as the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and WC. We determined the intensity of the arterial blood flow and the venous reserve volume with venous occlusion plethysmography, and the stroke volume, cardiac output, and heart rate with tetrapolar rheography. The application of EMS significantly increased the MVC and WC of the calf muscles (P ≤ 0.05) compared with the corresponding parameters recorded after PR. The venous reserve volumes after PR (0.61 ± 0.07 mL/100 mL) and EMS (0.91 ± 0.11 mL/100 mL) differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05). Mild electrical myostimulation is an effective local method of restoring the WC of the muscles. It is greatly superior to PR, which is the traditional way of recovering from exercise. The increased WC of the muscle was mediated by improved blood flow in the stimulated muscles and an increased venous blood pump. The systemic circulation, evaluated with cardiac indicators such as stroke volume, cardiac output, and heart rate, played no significant role in the effect.