Accelerated lactate reduction with EMS
In the world of sport and fitness, regeneration after training is of crucial importance. Whole body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) is a modern method of muscle recovery and performance enhancement used by athletes in a variety of sports. Active recovery has long been favoured for its effectiveness in lowering blood lactate levels after intense exercise. However, few studies have investigated the specific effects of WB-EMS on lactate reduction.
The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of WB-EMS with the Antelope suit on lactate levels in professional athletes using the example of ice hockey players of the Starbulls Rosenheim ice hockey team.
Study design
The study, led by Dr Lutz Graumann, involved a crossover design with two athletes performing identical training exercises under both WB-EMS and control conditions. On the first day, one player wore the Antelope suit while the other served as a control. One week later, the roles were reversed so that each player experienced both conditions. Lactate levels were measured at four critical time points: immediately after the submaximal effort and 10, 20 and 30 minutes afterwards. The main objective was to determine how WB-EMS influences lactate reduction compared to passive recovery without EMS.
Results
The results showed that the athletes wearing the EMS suit experienced a more significant reduction in lactate levels than the athletes who completed a passive regeneration phase without the suit.
Specifically, the average lactate reduction within 30 minutes for athletes wearing the EMS suit was 11.05 mmol/l, while the average reduction for passive regeneration without EMS was 8.55 mmol/l.
This clearly shows that WB-EMS more effectively promotes the removal of lactate from the blood within a short recovery phase.
