NCT04495647

Feasibility of WB-EMS in Frail Older People

Feasibility and Safety of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) in Frail Older People: A Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Exercise in general and resistance training (RT) in particular have demonstrated positive effects on physical functioning and frailty. However, frail older people with functional impairments are among the least physically active and may have problems reaching high intensity levels. The use of special vests with integrated electrodes allows the simultaneous innervation of all large muscle groups by external electrical stimulation, inducing a high-intensity RT at low subjective effort level. This whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) may be a feasible option inducing training stimuli for functionally impaired frail older people. This study aims at investigating the feasibility and safety of WB-EMS in frail older people with functional limitations. To explore the effects of age and functional status, young and robust old reference groups will serve as comparators.

Conditions

• Frailty
• Mobility Limitation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Whole-Body Electromyostimulation	Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS): Simultaneous, individually adjustable stimulation of 12 muscle groups using an interval approach with a duty cycle of 6s impulse/4s rest, bipolar electric current (impulse -frequency 85Hz, -width 350μs, rectangular pattern) will be applied. After a 4-week conditioning period, 1.5x 20 min/week WB-EMS will be conducted for 4 weeks (total training duration 8 weeks). Easy to perform functional exercises focusing on balance, transfer ability, stepping and lower extremity strength/power will be done during WB-EMS. Exercise intensity will be individually prescribed and adjusted by rate of perceived exertion (RPE-Borg CR10 scale 4 (moderate) to 7 (hard)). WB-EMS will be fully supervised one on one. All three arms will receive the same intervention.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-07-22
• Primary completion: 2020-12-31
• Completion: 2021-02-28
• First posted: 2020-08-03
• Last updated: 2021-04-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany