Health Research Digest with Leo and Eva

Can Timed Muscle Stimulation Reduce Heart Workload?

25 min · 30. juni 2026
episode Can Timed Muscle Stimulation Reduce Heart Workload? cover

Description

A 2017 study by researchers from Kurume University School of Medicine in Japan, published in the respected journal PLOS ONE, tested electrical muscle stimulation on the lower limbs timed with each heartbeat. In 9 out of 11 healthy volunteers, this approach generated effects similar to heart-assist devices. It significantly increased cardiac output from 4.8 to 6.1 litres per minute and stroke volume, while lowering peripheral vascular resistance — all without raising blood pressure. These results suggest that properly timed electrical muscle stimulation may support better blood flow by enhancing the natural pumping action of the calf muscles, often called the body’s “second heart.” Because the study was conducted by credible scientists at a leading Japanese university and published in an international peer-reviewed journal, the findings carry real weight. Read on to discover what this could mean for using EMS technology more effectively. Full info: https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/what-if-strengthening-your-legs-could-help-your-heart

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