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CLINICAL TRIAL article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1544332
This article is part of the Research Topic Responses and Adaptations to Novel Exercise Modalities View all 14 articles
The effect of whole-body electromyostimulation on visceral adipose tissue volume in overweight to obese adults with knee osteoarthritis. A randomized controlled study
Provisionally accepted
Benazir Burkhardt 1
Oliver Chaudry 1 Stephanie Kast 1 Simon Von Stengel 1
Matthias Kohl 2
Frank Roemer 1
Klaus Engelke 3 Michael Uder 1
Wolfgang Kemmler 1*- 1 Institute of Radiology University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- 2 Furtwangen University, Furtwangen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
- 3 Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Erlangen, Germany, Erlangen, Germany
Physical exercise favorably affects visceral adipose tissue (VAT) which is a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. However, many people are unable or unwilling to conduct frequent and intensive exercise programs that have favorable effects on VAT. The present study aimed to determine the effect of the time-efficient and joint-friendly whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) technology on VAT volume in overweight to obese adults with osteoarthritis of the knee. In total 46 women and 26 men (58.4±7.0 years; BMI: 30.2±4.2 kg/m 2 ) with femuro-tibial knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to WB-EMS (n=36) with 1.5x 20 min/week for 29 weeks or a usual care control group (CG: n=36) with 6 sessions of physiotherapy. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) using a non-contrast enhanced 2-point Dixon gradient echo volumetric interpolated breathhold examination determined VAT from mid L2 to mid L3. In summary, VAT volume increased non-significantly in the CG (p=.246) and decreased non-significantly in the WB-EMS group (p=.143). We failed to determine significant WB-EMS-induced effects i.e. group differences for absolute changes on VAT volume (p=.090). However, we observed gender differences with significantly higher effects in men compared to women (p=.032). Nevertheless, we concluded that low volume, non-superimposed WB-EMS is not the perfect tool for decreasing VAT, particularly in overweight to obese women.information, all study participants gave their written informed consent. The project was fully registered under ClinicalTrials.gov: (NCT05672264).
Keywords: Electromyostimulation, Exercise, Intra-Abdominal Fat, visceral fat, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Obesity, adults
Received: 12 Dec 2024; Accepted: 24 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Burkhardt, Chaudry, Kast, Von Stengel, Kohl, Roemer, Engelke, Uder and Kemmler. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Wolfgang Kemmler, Institute of Radiology University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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