A strength study utilizing the electro-stim 180

Increased interest has developed in the use of electrical stimulation as either an adjunct or a substitution for voluntary muscle contraction as a technique to improve strength in normal individuals. This study was conducted in an attempt to determine if electrical stimulation does significantly increase the strength of normal musculature. A sample using 17 normal subjects (10 male, 7 female) with an average mean age of 26 years was obtained. In this study the subjects were divided into two groups. Three different speeds (0, 60, and 240°/sec) with 3-5 contractions at each speed were used to determine the maximum strength of each subject's nondominant leg as measured by a Cybex® II dynamometer. Group A consisted of 8 subjects (3 male, 5 female) who served as a control group. Group B consisted of 9 subjects (7 male, 2 female) who received electrical stimulation to the nondominant leg for 20 treatment sessions (5 days/week for 4 weeks). Results indicate that group B did have a significant strength gain which was achieved after 4 weeks of stimulation. These results were only significant at an isometric mode (0°/sec) and did not carry over to dynamic measurement.