Scientists Suggest Electrocuting Yourself at the Gym to Get Jacked

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Talk about a shock to the system: zapping yourself with an electrical muscle stimulation device during resistance training can lead to greater muscle mass and strength improvements compared to weightlifting alone, according to new research. 

The work, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, is a meta-analysis analyzing 13 different studies for a combined total of 374 participants — providing, in theory, more comprehensive results.

As the authors note, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) devices are affordable, widely available, and easy to use — so the findings could offer a practical way to boost gains for meatheads everywhere.

On paper, the idea makes sense. Resistance training is the way to build muscle, while NMES is typically used in muscle therapy and rehab to prevent the loss of strength and mobility. Both are proven to increase strength and mass on their own. So why not combine them, the researchers’ thinking went, and get the best of both worlds?

That’s what the meta-analysis set out to find. Until now, whether there was an additive effect of using NMES with resistance training remained unknown, the authors wrote.

“Under normal conditions, the brain activates muscles by sending signals through the nervous system,” study coauthor Sudip Bajpeyi, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at The University of Texas at El Paso, explained in a statement about the work. “NMES mimics this process by delivering external electrical currents to the nerves, causing the muscles to contract, without input from the brain.” 

“Think of it as though your muscles are contracting involuntarily,” he added. 

The constituent studies were chosen for combining neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with resistance training; 13 of them were randomized control trials with the majority of the studies favoring athletic participants (though sedentary folks, i.e. most of us, were still fairly represented.) Subjects’ strength and muscle mass were evaluated at the beginning and end of each study, which had training periods between two to 16 weeks in length.

It may not be the largest meta-analysis, but the findings showed a statistically significant boost in strength and muscle mass gains by combining weight training with electrical stimulation. In particular, it seems like the NMES electrical signals can be used to activate parts of your muscles that you aren’t fully contracting. That’s part of the struggle of resistance training: you can pick up a dumbbell and still not effectively use the muscle it’s supposed to be targeting. It’s why mind muscle connection is such a big deal in the world of weightlifting, which can take a lot of focus and discipline to develop.

There’s at least one major caveat, however. As New Atlas notes, none of the analyzed studies controlled the participants’ diet — a pretty big oversight, because eating enough calories and protein are essential to building muscle, as any gym rat will tell you.

But if you’re an experienced lifter, it could be worth a shot — once the science is more established, at least. After all, it can’t be any more off-putting of a concept than cutting off your bloodflow for bigger arms. Newbie lifters, though, are probably better off focusing on getting their lifts down and eating enough food.

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