Influence of Acute Arm-cranking Exercise with Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Vascular Endothelial Function

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of submaximal arm-cranking exercise with EMS on vascular endothelial function.

Methods: Ten healthy young men performed submaximal arm-cranking exercise at 50%VO_{2 max} for 20 min. All subjects performed submaximal arm-cranking exercise alone (A) and with EMS (A+E). In the A+E trial, the submaximal arm-cranking exercise was performed at 50%VO_{2 max} for 20 min while EMS was applied to their thigh and calf muscles during the exercise. The flow-mediated dilation (FMD) at the brachial artery was measured before and after exercise to calculate the normalized FMD (nFMD).

Results: In the A+E trial, the nFMD was significantly increased 30 minutes after exercise compared to the rest value and was increased 30 minutes after exercise compared to the A trial.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that arm-cranking exercise with EMS increases vascular endothelial function．