ReviewSports health
Can the Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Be Improved to Optimize Quadriceps Strengthening?
Review in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of combined blood flow restriction and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy in adults: a systematic review and meta analysis.Scientific reports · 2026Pooled it
- Trial
- Effect of Different Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Modalities on Clinical and Functional Outcomes in Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Clinical interventions in aging · 2025Trial
- A controlled randomized trial with a 12-week follow-up investigating the effects of medium-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain, VMO thickness, and functionality in patients with knee osteoarthritis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Trial
- Effect of Russian current expert modes on quadriceps muscle torque in healthy adults: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2024Trial
- Effects on hemodynamic enhancement and discomfort of a new textile electrode integrated in a sock during calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation.European journal of applied physiology · 2023Trial
- Trial
- Knee extensor force production and discomfort during neuromuscular electrical stimulation of quadriceps with and without gluteal muscle co-stimulation.European journal of applied physiology · 2022Trial
- Effects of an Impulse Frequency Dependent 10-Week Whole-body Electromyostimulation Training Program on Specific Sport Performance Parameters.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2020Trial
- Impairment-Based Rehabilitation With Patterned Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation and Lower Extremity Function in Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain: A Preliminary Study.Journal of athletic training · 2019Trial
- Trial
- Acute responses of inflammatory markers, glucose, and myoglobin in blood following neuromuscular electrical stimulation.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Feasibility and acceptability of whole-body electromyostimulation in pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with chronic respiratory disease: a pilot study protocol.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2026Review
- Acute changes in ankle dorsiflexor strength and fNIRS-Derived cortical activation following a single session of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in healthy older adults.Frontiers in aging · 2026Article
- The Use of Electrical Stimulation for Older Adults at Risk for Developing Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review.Journal of frailty, sarcopenia and falls · 2025Review
- Motorpoint Heatmap of the Hamstring Muscles to Facilitate Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation.Annals of biomedical engineering · 2025Article
- Neuromuscular electrical stimulation producing low evoked force elicits the repeated bout effect on muscle damage markers of the elbow flexors.Sports medicine and health science · 2025Article
- Who's Afraid of Electrical Stimulation? Let's Revisit the Application of NMES at the Knee.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy · 2024Article
- Unlocking the potential of neuromuscular electrical stimulation: achieving physical activity benefits for all abilities.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Review
- Do Electrical Stimulation Devices Reduce Pain and Improve Function?-A Comparative Review.Pain and therapy · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextNeuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a common modality used to retrain muscles and improve muscular strength after injury or surgery, particularly for the quadriceps muscle. There are parameter adjustments that can be made to maximize the effectiveness of NMES. While NMES is often used in clinical practice, there are some limitations that clinicians should be aware of, including patient discomfort, muscle fatigue, and muscle damage. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed was searched through August 2014 and all articles cross-referenced. STUDY
designClinical review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.
resultsClinicians can optimize torque production and decrease discomfort by altering parameter selection (pulse duration, pulse frequency, duty cycle, and amplitude). Pulse duration of 400 to 600 μs and a pulse frequency of 30 to 50 Hz appear to be the most effective parameters to optimize torque output while minimizing discomfort, muscle fatigue, or muscle damage. Optimal electrode placement, conditioning programs, and stimulus pattern modulation during long-term NMES use may improve results.
conclusionTorque production can be enhanced while decreasing patient discomfort and minimizing fatigue.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.