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[[File:EMS VMO.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Using EMS on the [[VMO]].]]
Electrical Muscle Stimulation is the direct of stimulation a muscle using an electric current that is applied via electrode patches on the skin. EMS may be useful in the treatment of knee pain[[Knee Pain]], preventing muscle atrophy after injury, and as an addition to regular training.
=What EMS Can and Can't Do=
* '''Endurance - Unclear'''. They are few studies on the use of EMS for endurance. A study of sedentary subjects showed a 10% increase in [[VO2max|V̇O<sub>2</sub>max]]<ref name="EMSBane05"/>, but this study used an unusually large level of EMS over an unusually large area. I found no studies of endurance benefits for trained athletes. A study did show a doubling of the number of abdominal curls that could be performed after EMS training<ref name="EMSPorc05"/>, but this is not "endurance" in the sense a runner would mean.
* '''Can Activate Deep Muscles.''' It was generally thought that EMS tends to activate fibers nearer to the surface<ref name="EMSGreg05"/>, but MRI scans have shown that even low levels can activate deep muscles<ref name="EMSAdam93"/>. This may be because EMS is stimulating superficial nerves that control deeper muscles<ref name="EMSGreg05"/>.
* '''Can Help with [[Knee Pain]].''' Studies have shown that EMS of the [[VMO]] (part of the quad near the knee on the inside of the thigh) can help reduce [[Knee Pain]]<ref name="PFClinical"/>. The recommendation is for eight weeks of EMS consisting of 20 min. sessions twice a day (18 sec stimulation and 25 sec rest)<ref name="PFClinical"/>.
* '''May improve muscle recovery.''' There is some limited evidence that EMS may help with recovery from [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness|DOMS]], probably due to increased blood flow<ref name="EMSDoms"/>.
=Why use EMS?=
The main reasons to use EMS are around injury treatment and rehabilitation. EMS may be able to directly help with knee pain [[Knee Pain]] (see above), as well as reducing the loss of muscle strength (atrophy) that can occur while injured. EMS may be a beneficial supplement to regular training, but I have not found sufficient guidelines or studies that would define the optimal usage pattern.
=EMS and TENS=
EMS is similar to TENS ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcutaneous_electrical_nerve_stimulation Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation]), and many devices, such as the one recommended below, a capable of both EMS and TENS. The difference between the two is that EMS is intended to activate muscle fibers, where TENS is used at a lower intensity with the goal of reducing pain.
