Discussion
muscle mass, EMS improves, fatigue, NHAlthough, Muscle mass, muscle mass gain
In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated the advantages of EMS as a passive exercise for muscles. However, the gains in muscle strength or mass may still be influenced by the specific protocols and frequency of use (EMS is believed to have a significant impact on reducing body fat by increasing the resting metabolic rate (While there are differing opinions on the effects of EMS on fat loss, its benefits for increasing muscle mass are widely recognized. The mechanisms underlying the muscle mass gain observed with EMS involve several factors. EMS has been shown to enhance the regenerative capacity of satellite cells fused with mature skeletal fibers (Muscle mass and strength have been found to be closely correlated (Excessive accumulation of fatigue by-products, such as lactic acid and NHAlthough this study demonstrated that 8 weeks of resistance exercise training combined with EMS improves muscle mass and strength in young, healthy adults, there are several limitations that should be acknowledged. Firstly, the study only included a specific population of young, healthy subjects, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other populations. Additionally, the study focused on the short-term effects of EMS during the 8-week intervention period and did not assess the long-term effects of EMS on muscle and physical performance when used independently. Secondly, the sample size of the study was relatively small, which, although consistent with the calculated effective sample size, may have had a slight impact on the results. Therefore, future studies with larger sample sizes should be conducted to confirm these findings. Thirdly, although the study aimed to explore differences in body composition and muscle strength changes between different EMS, the inclusion of both male and female subjects in the same group for comparison may have been a limitation, as strength and physiological differences between genders can significantly influence the results. Fourthly, while bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a practical method for assessing body composition, it provides a global assessment and may benefit from the addition of local body composition analysis using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Moreover, the study did not implement standardized interventions targeting nutrient intake. Although participants were instructed to maintain their usual eating habits during the trial, there was limited monitoring of dietary adherence. These limitations highlight areas for improvement and suggest the need for future research with more diverse populations, longer follow-up periods, larger sample sizes, and the inclusion of standardized interventions and more precise body composition assessment methods. Furthermore, in-depth mechanism research is warranted to explore the factors contributing to the effects of different EMS training programs on muscle mass and strength performance.