Pages 363-364
A new electrical stimulating muscle exercise method is developed. Previous or usual such electrical stimulation obtains on the agonist at which the exercise is required. Our new method, however, stimulates the antagonist. The muscle force of the antagonist by electrical stimulation was utilized as the resistance against the voluntary contraction of the agonist muscle. Ordinal muscle exercise devices, such as pendulum, dumbbell, spring, and other exercise devices are "outer resistance". On the other hand, our new method utilized "inner resistance". We examined thigh muscles using ten healthy young subjects to know the electrical stimulated muscle force, as the resistance of agonist. Electrical stimulating muscle force was 13.37% to 22.97% comparing to voluntary maximum muscle contraction in each muscle, and it varied with joint angle. It was 5.35% comparing to voluntary maximum contraction of agonist muscle.
