Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2022; 43(01): 34-40
DOI: 10.1055/a-1510-9135
Physiology & Biochemistry

Effects of Arm-cranking Training with Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Vessel Function

Hajime Miura
1   Laboratory for Applied Physiology, Institutes of Socio-Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
,
Mizuki Ishikawa
2   Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, Osaka, Japan
,
Ayako Murakami
3   Center for Faculty-wide General Education, Shikoku University,Tokushima, Japan
,
Yasuaki Tamura
4   Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokushima Prefecture Naruto Hospital, Naruto, Japan
,
Kenichi Deguchi
4   Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokushima Prefecture Naruto Hospital, Naruto, Japan
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether arm-cranking training with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) results in a greater improvement in vessel function than performing the same exercise without EMS. First, nine healthy young men performed two 20-min arm-cranking trials at 50% V˙O2max with and without EMS applied to the lower limbs. The flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the right brachial artery was measured using a high-resolution ultrasound device. Both FMD and normalized FMD were increased significantly after the arm-cranking with EMS trial, and significant differences were observed between the two trials. Second, 16 healthy adult men were randomly assigned to either the arm-cranking exercise training (A) group or arm-cranking training with EMS (A+EMS) group. The subjects were engaged in 20 min of arm-cranking at 50% V˙O2max twice a week for 8 weeks with/without EMS applied to the lower limbs. The FMD increased significantly after A+EMS training session and the FMD in A+EMS group was significantly higher than that in the A group. These results indicate that acute/chronic endurance arm-cranking with EMS applied to the lower limbs improves the brachial artery endothelial function more markedly than the same exercise without EMS.

Key words

electrical muscle stimulation - arm-cranking - training - endothelial function - flow-mediated vasodilation


Publication History

Received: 10 January 2021

Accepted: 06 May 2021

Article published online:
09 July 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

  • References

  • 1 Kingwell BA, Berry KL, Cameron JD. et al. Arterial compliance increases after moderate-intensity cycling. Am J Physiol 1997; 273: H2186-H2191
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Sugawara J, Inoue H, Hayashi K. et al. Effect of low-intensity aerobic exercise training on arterial compliance in postmenopausal women. Hypertens Res 2004; 27: 897-901
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Tanaka H, DeSouza CA, Seals DR. Absence of age-related increase in central arterial stiffness in physically active women. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1998; 18: 127-132
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Tanaka H, Dinenno FA, Monahan KD. et al. Aging, habitual exercise, and dynamic arterial compliance. Circulation 2000; 102: 1270-1275
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Akkurt H, Karapolat HU, Kirazli Y. et al. The effects of upper extremity aerobic exercise in patients with spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled study. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med 2017; 53: 219-227
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Arnet U, van Drongelen SV, Scheel-Sailer A. et al. Shoulder load during synchronous handcycling and handrim wheelchair propulsion in persons with paraplegia. J Rehabil Med 2012; 44: 222-228
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Davis G, Plyley MJ, Shephard RJ. Gains of cardiorespiratory fitness with arm-crank training in spinally disabled men. Can J Sport Sci 1991; 16: 64-72
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Miura H, Ishikawa M, Deguchi K. Moderate-intensity arm-cranking exercise may not improve arterial function in healthy adult men. Int J Sports Med 2018; 39: 962-966
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Vivodtzev I, Lacasse Y, Maltais F. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the lower limbs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev 2008; 28: 79-91
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Gerovasili V, Stefanidis K, Vitzilaios K. et al. Electrical muscle stimulation preserves the muscle mass of critically ill patients: A randomized study. Crit Care 2009; 13: R161
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Lake DA. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation. An overview and its application in the treatment of sports injuries. Sports Med 1992; 13: 320-336
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Sillen MJ, Speksnijder CM, Eterman RM. et al. Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of muscles of ambulation in patients with chronic heart failure or COPD: A systematic review of the English-language literature. Chest 2009; 136: 44-61
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Clamann HP, Gillies JD, Skinner RD. et al. Quantitative measures of output of a motoneuron pool during monosynaptic reflexes. J Neurophysiol 1974; 37: 1328-1337
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Greenhaff PL, Söderlund K, Ren JM. et al. Energy metabolism in single human muscle fibres during intermittent contraction with occluded circulation. J Physiol 1993; 460: 443-453
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Hamada T, Hayashi T, Kimura T. et al. Electrical stimulation of human lower extremities enhances energy consumption, carbohydrate oxidation, and whole body glucose uptake. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2004; 96: 911-916
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Deftereos S, Giannopoulos G, Raisakis K. et al. Comparison of muscle functional electrical stimulation to conventional bicycle exercise on endothelium and functional status indices in patients with heart failure. Am J Cardiol 2010; 106: 1621-1625
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Harriss DJ, Macsween A, Atkinson G. Standards for ethics in sport and exercise science research: 2020 update. Int J Sports Med 2019; 40: 813-817
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Hasegawa S, Kobayashi M, Arai R. et al. Effect of early implementation of electrical muscle stimulation to prevent muscle atrophy and weakness in patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2011; 21: 622-630
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Maruhashi T, Kajikawa M, Kishimoto S. et al. Diagnostic criteria of flow-mediated vasodilation for normal endothelial function and nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation for normal vascular smooth muscle function of the brachial artery. J Am Heart Assoc 2020; 9: e013915
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Genta FT, Eleuteri E, Temporelli PL. et al. Flow-mediated dilation normalization predicts outcome in chronic heart failure patients. J Card Fail 2013; 19: 260-267
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Ishikawa M, Miura H, Azuma A. et al. Influence of arm-cranking exercise with electrical muscle stimulation on arterial stiffness. J Phys Fitness Sports Med 2019; 68: 183-190
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Davidson NC, Struthers AD. Brain natriuretic peptide. J Hypertens 1994; 12: 329-336
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Stein BC, Levin RI. Natriuretic peptides: physiology, therapeutic potential, and risk stratification in ischemic heart disease. Am Heart J 1998; 135: 914-923
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Vogelsang TW, Yoshiga CC, Højgaard M. et al. The plasma atrial natriuretic peptide response to arm and leg exercise in humans: Effect of posture. Exp Physiol 2006; 91: 765-771
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Janssen TW, Hopman MT. Blood flow response to electrically induced twitch and tetanic lower-limb muscle contraction. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003; 84: 982-987
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Hooker SP, Figoni SF, Rodgers MM. et al. Metabolic and hemodynamic responses to concurrent voluntary arm crank and electrical stimulation leg cycle exercise in quadriplegics. J Rehabil Res Dev 1992; 29: 1-11
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Kaplan RE, Czyrny JJ, Fung TS. et al. Electrical foot stimulation implications for the prevention of venous thromboembolic disease. Thromb Haemost 2002; 88: 200-204
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Cornelissen VA, Onkelinx S, Goetschalckx K. et al. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation improves endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated dilation but not by pulse amplitude tonometry. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2014; 21: 39-48
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 29 Luk TH, Dai YL, Siu CW. et al. Effect of exercise training on vascular endothelial function in patients with stable coronary artery disease: A randomized controlled trial. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2012; 19: 830-839
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 30 Nualnim N, Parkhurst K, Dhindsa M. et al. Effects of swimming training on blood pressure and vascular function in adults>50 years of age. Am J Cardiol 2012; 109: 1005-1010
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 31 Babbitt DM, Diaz KM, Feairheller DL. et al. Endothelial activation microparticles and inflammation status improve with exercise training in African Americans. Int J Hypertens 2013; 2013: e538017
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 32 Moncada S, Palmer RM, Higgs EA. Nitric oxide: Physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. Pharmacol Rev 1991; 43: 109-142
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 33 Palmer RMJ, Ferrige AG, Monvada S. Nitric oxide release accounts for the biological activity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Nature 1987; 327: 524-526
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 34 Sessa WC, Pritchard K, Seyedi N. et al. Chronic exercise in dogs increases coronary vascular nitric oxide production and endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene expression. Circ Res 1994; 74: 349-353
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 35 Maeda S, Miyauchi T, Kakiyama T. et al. Effects of exercise of 8 weeks and detraining on plasma levels of endothelium-derived factors, endhothelin-1 and nitric oxide, in healthy young humans. Life Sci 2001; 69: 1005-1016
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 36 Langille B, O’Donnell F. Reductions in arterial diameter produced by chronic decreases in blood flow are endothelium-dependent. Science 1986; 231: 405-407
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 37 Rudic R, Sheseley E, Maeda N. et al. Direct evidence for the importance of endothelium-derived nitric oxide in vascular remodeling. J Clin Invest 1998; 101: 731-736
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 38 Tronc F, Wassef M, Esposito B. et al. Role of NO in flow-induced remodeling of the rabbit common carotid artery. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1996; 16: 1256-1262
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 39 Jamurtas AZ, Fatouros IG, Deli CK. et al. The effects of acute low-volume HIIT and aerobic exercise on leukocyte count and redox status. J Sports Sci Med 2018; 17: 501-508
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 40 Di Francescomarino S, Sciartilli A, Di Valerio V. et al. The effect of physical exercise on endothelial function. Sports Med 2009; 39: 797-812
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 41 Feairheller DL, Diaz KM, Kashem MA. et al. Effects of moderate aerobic exercise training on vascular health and blood pressure in African Americans. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2014; 16: 504-510
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 42 Liao D, Arnett DK, Tyroler HA. et al. Arterial stiffness and the development of hypertension. The ARIC study. Hypertension 1999; 34: 201-206
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 43 Miyatani M, Masani K, Oh PI. et al. Pulse wave velocity for assessment of arterial stiffness among people with spinal cord injury: A pilot study. J Spinal Cord Med 2009; 32: 72-78
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 44 Wecht JM, Weir JP, DeMeersman RE. et al. Arterial stiffness in persons with paraplegia. J Spinal Cord Med 2004; 27: 255-259
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 45 Yoshimura N, Muraki S, Oka H. et al. Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis, lumbar spondylosis, and osteoporosis in Japanese men and women: The research on osteoarthritis/osteoporosis against disability study. J Bone Miner Metab 2009; 27: 620-628
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar