Trial reportEuropean journal of applied physiology2017
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces exercise-induced perceived pain and improves endurance exercise performance.
Trial report in European journal of applied physiology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 102 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review of the effectiveness of self-initiated interventions to decrease pain and sensory disturbances associated with peripheral neuropathy.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2020Pooled it
- Comparison of Treatment Outcomes From 6 Weeks of Home-Based Kinesio Taping and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Combined With Self-Applied Myofascial Stretching in Adults With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026Trial
- Acute hypoalgesic and neurophysiological responses to lower-limb ischaemic preconditioning.Experimental brain research · 2025Trial
- The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on fatigue recovery in recreational rowers.PeerJ · 2025Trial
- Elevated muscle pain induced by a hypertonic saline injection reduces power output independent of physiological changes during fixed perceived effort cycling.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2024Trial
- Immediate effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) administered during resistance exercise on pain intensity and physical performance of healthy subjects: a randomized clinical trial.European journal of applied physiology · 2018Trial
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), Interferential Current (IFC) and Percutaneous Needle Electrolysis (PNE) in the treatment of sports-related pain: a scoping review with an evidence gap map.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Exercise-induced pain within endurance exercise settings: Definitions, measurement, mechanisms and potential interventions.Experimental physiology · 2024Review
- The chain-mediating effects of negative physical sensation and experiential avoidance on exercise anxiety in college students.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Article
- What is the Effect of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Ingestion on Exercise Performance? Current Findings and Future Research Directions.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2022Review
- The effect of elevated muscle pain on neuromuscular fatigue during exercise.European journal of applied physiology · 2022Article
- Muscle pain induced by hypertonic saline in the knee extensors decreases single-limb isometric time to task failure.European journal of applied physiology · 2020Article
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation improves fatigue performance of the treated and contralateral knee extensors.European journal of applied physiology · 2019Article
- Endurance Performance is Influenced by Perceptions of Pain and Temperature: Theory, Applications and Safety Considerations.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2018Review
- Fast-tracked Rehabilitation and Return to Sport of an Elite Rugby Player with a Complicated Posterolateral Corner Injury and Associated Peroneal Paralysis.BMJ case reports · 2017Article
- Acetaminophen (Paracetamol): Use beyond Pain Management and Dose Variability.Frontiers in physiology · 2017Article
- Physical activity level in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A cross-sectional observational study.Women's health (London, England)Observational
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 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeMuscle pain is a natural consequence of intense and prolonged exercise and has been suggested to be a limiter of performance. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential current (IFC) have been shown to reduce both chronic and acute pain in a variety of conditions. This study sought to ascertain whether TENS and IFC could reduce exercise-induced pain (EIP) and whether this would affect exercise performance. It was hypothesised that TENS and IFC would reduce EIP and result in an improved exercise performance.
methodsIn two parts, 18 (Part I) and 22 (Part II) healthy male and female participants completed an isometric contraction of the dominant bicep until exhaustion (Part I) and a 16.1 km cycling time trial as quickly as they could (Part II) whilst receiving TENS, IFC, and a SHAM placebo in a repeated measures, randomised cross-over, and placebo-controlled design. Perceived EIP was recorded in both tasks using a validated subjective scale.
resultsIn Part I, TENS significantly reduced perceived EIP (mean reduction of 12%) during the isometric contraction (P = 0.006) and significantly improved participants' time to exhaustion by a mean of 38% (P = 0.02). In Part II, TENS significantly improved (P = 0.003) participants' time trial completion time (~2% improvement) through an increased mean power output.
conclusionThese findings demonstrate that TENS can attenuate perceived EIP in a healthy population and that doing so significantly improves endurance performance in both submaximal isometric single limb exercise and whole-body dynamic exercise.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.