Author/Authors :
Eduardo Pinfildi, Carlos Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) - Department of Movement Health and Science, Santos, SP, Brazil , antonio Carvalho andraus, rodrigo Universidade Pitágoras Unopar (UNOPAR) - Program stricto sensu in Rehabilitation Science, Londrina, PR, Brazil , MEguMi iida, ligia Universidade Pitágoras Unopar (UNOPAR) - Program stricto sensu in Rehabilitation Science, Londrina, PR, Brazil , PasChoal Prado, rodrigo Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) - Department of Physical Therapy, Jatai, GO, Brazil
Abstract :
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects
of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in different fre-
quencies on the quadriceps femoris. A randomized, controlled,
blind cross-sectional study. Methods: Thirty subjects (12 men
and 18 women), with an average age of 24.67 years, weight of
65.62 kg and height of 1.69 m were evaluated. Three random test
conditions were applied: maximum voluntary isometric contraction
(MVIC), maximum voluntary isometric contraction with medium
frequency current (MVIC-MF) and maximum voluntary isometric
contraction with low frequency current (MVIC-LF). Four MVICs were
applied in each situation. The time between different isometric
contraction types was 90 seconds while the time between the
same conditions of contraction was 10 seconds. Results: Two-way
ANOVA test showed that MVIC-MF had higher values for peak
torque than MVIC-LF (p=0.02). Significant statistical results were
found when comparing MVIC-MF and MVIC (p=0.03), but not for
MVIC and MVIC-LF (p=0.52). Conclusion: Maximum voluntary
isometric contraction associated with medium-frequency electri-
cal stimulation was more effective than other NMES conditions.
Level of Evidence II, Therapeutic Studies - Investigation of
treatment results.
Keywords :
Quadriceps Muscles , Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation , Isometric contraction , Torque
