Recruiting

Electrical Muscle Stimulation

Sponsor:

University of Missouri-Columbia

Code:

NCT06689618

Conditions

Aging

Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia in Elderly

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Exercise

Study Details

Brief summary:

During this pilot study, the investigators will examine the effects of whole-body electrical muscle stimulation exercise (WB-EMS Exercise) on motoneuronal activation in healthy adults, which typically decreases with age. The investigators will also test whether WB-EMS Exercise will improve measures of physical function. Participants will undergo clinical and electrophysiologic testing before and after the WB-EMS Exercise intervention. The WB-EMS Exercise intervention will be delivered two times per week for four weeks. The hypothesis is that whole-body electrical muscle stimulation combined with physical exercise (WB-EMS Exercise) could bypass the problem of insufficient motoneuronal activation to improve exercise effect in older adults.

Conditions

Aging

Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia in Elderly

Study ID

NCT06689618

Start date

Aug 18, 2025

Status verified date

Feb, 2026

Completion date

Jun, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age (65 years or older) for healthy older adults and between 18-39 for healthy younger adults
  • Ambulatory without an assistive device
  • More than anti-gravity strength in major muscle groups as assessed by manual muscle testing
  • Medical clearance to participate in an exercise program
  • Ability to conform to the requirements of the study (i.e. attendance at assessment and intervention visits, maintain current level of non-study physical activity for the duration of the study, no intention to relocate mid-study)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Regular use of an assistive device for mobility (i.e. cane, walker, wheelchair)
  • Presence of a pacemaker, metal implants, or other implanted medical devices that could impact participant safety during WB-EMS intervention
  • Known pregnancy at the time of screening
  • Presence of unstable acute or chronic disease (i.e. renal failure, rheumatologic disease cardia arrhythmia, neoplasm, uncontrolled hypertension)
  • Presence of terminal disease (i.e. receiving hospice services)
  • Current of previous use of any drugs known to influence muscle mass or performance within 6 months; these may include but are not limited to anabolic steroids, IGF01, growth hormone, replacement and androgen therapy, anti-androgen therapy.
  • Known neuromuscular or neurologic condition affecting somatosensory or motor function/control (i.e. motor neuron disease, muscle disease, severe peripheral neuropathy, NMJ disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, h/o stroke, TBI, SCI, ataxia, apraxia, hemiplegia, etc.)
  • Musculoskeletal condition or surgery in the past year that would confound results of exercise interventions (i.e. TKA, THA, RTC repair, spinal fusion)
  • Other medical conditions, signs, or symptoms that would interfere with study conduct or interpretation of results as determined by a PI

Study Design

Enrollment

12 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Healthy Adults

All participants will receive the WB-EMS Exercise intervention 2 times per week for 4 weeks. Participants will only perform leveled exercise programs in the "Strength" Training Mode. These programs are 20-minute videos led by exercise professionals. They are full-body workouts with no one muscle group receiving more attention than another. They consist of 10-12 exercises performed for 14 repetitions. Each repetition takes 4 seconds to complete (the time that the stimulation is "on") and is followed by a 4 second rest (the time that the stimulation is "off"). All exercises occur in a double-limb stance position. Most exercises occur with feet in wide base of support, hips width or more apart. All exercises are modifiable by the healthcare professional administering and monitoring the intervention based on participant's safe and available range of motion (i.e. arm movements, torso positions, extent of knee bend).

Interventions

Exercise

The WB-EMS Device is a fitness device that delivers whole-body electrical muscle stimulation in conjunction with exercise programs. After donning a base layer consisting of fitted shorts and shirt, a vest, shorts, and arm straps with integrated electrodes mapped to major muscle groups (biceps, triceps, pectorals, abdominals, periscapular musculature, paraspinal musculature, gluteus musculature, quadriceps, and hamstrings) are donned. The suit connects to an impulse pack that communicates with the Katalyst iPad App to deliver the programmed stimulation to the participant. Within the Katalyst App, there are leveled exercise programs where low levels (i.e. Level 1 and 2) are simple movements and higher levels (i.e. Levels 3, 4, and 5) have more complex and dynamic movements. There is complete user control of the stimulation level of each individual muscle group to tailor to participant responses and tolerance.

Primary outcome measure

  • Mean change from baseline in motor unit firing rates of the vastus lateralis using decomposition electromyography (dEMG) [ Time Frame: Measured within 3 days of starting the intervention and within 3 days of completing the intervention ]
  • Mean change from baseline in central activation ratio of the vastus lateralis using interpolated twitch technique (ITT) [ Time Frame: Measured within 3 days of starting the intervention and within 3 days of completing the intervention ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Kristina Kelly, DPT, MS

5738842596kristina.kelly@health.missouri.edu

Locations

NextGen Precision Health Building, Clinical and Translational Science Unit

Recruiting

Columbia, Missouri, United States, 65211

Contacts

Manny Morales

573-882-8571moralesman@missouri.edu

Stacee Baker

bakersa@health.missouri.edu

Principal Investigator:

Kristina M Kelly, DPT, MS

More Information

Sponsor

University of Missouri-Columbia

Last update posted

Feb 17, 2026

Last verified

Feb, 2026

Keywords

  • Aging
  • Motoneuronal Activation
  • Electrical Stimulation
  • Whole-Body Stimulation
  • Sarcopenia
  • Exercise Intervention
  • Exercise

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Missouri-Columbia on 2026-02-17.