EMS For Capillary Development?

    Posted In: Strength & Conditioning

        • Member
          Carson Boddicker on December 30, 2005 at 11:53 am #11538

          What's the deal on this?  I saw that compex sport model machines have a mode for capillary growth?  Do they work?  Any research? 

        • Participant
          Daniel Andrews on December 30, 2005 at 12:47 pm #50583

          Adding muscle mass (hypertrophy) enhances capillary development, but I doubt it enchances capillary density.  The 2 are not the same.  While a hypertrophy workout gives muscular endurance I have not seen any research indicating that it enchances aerobic metabolism which requires an extremely high volume (time 45-90 minutes 3-5d/wk) at extremely low intensities 40-60% and that leads to increased capillary density and increased aerobic metabolism enzyme level elevations, because maintaining that intensity consistenly in the weight room is not possible for a duration for any type of track and field athlete.  Bodybuilders on the other hand may see increased cappilary density,  because they may spend 3-4 hours in the weight room, but I have not seen the research.

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on December 31, 2005 at 9:25 am #50584

          I've never heard of any research to support this usage. I'd suspect it could produce the desired effect in untrained individuals but for a trained athlete I suspect it would be highly unlikely.

          ELITETRACK Founder

        • Member
          Carson Boddicker on January 2, 2006 at 12:18 pm #50585

          Do you have any recommendations on uses as an endurance athlete?  I was thinking it would be a good recovery tool–has a TENS and EMS–but what about other protocols for performance? 

        • Participant
          Daniel Andrews on January 2, 2006 at 12:34 pm #50586

          I think endurance is best kept task specific.  Recovery from hard endurance work can usually be circuits, swimming, or cycling activities that are not task specific, while keeping your fitness.

        • Member
          Carson Boddicker on January 2, 2006 at 1:29 pm #50587

          I am referring to a supplement, not a replacement, to workouts.

        • Participant
          Daniel Andrews on January 2, 2006 at 1:48 pm #50588

          I think you're missing my point.

        • Keymaster
          Mike Young on January 3, 2006 at 8:43 am #50589

          I could see EMS potentially serving as a substitute for general strength work. I've never used it in this capacity but I suspect you'd want to simulate general strength workouts (intensity, muscle groups, work:rest ratios, etc.) as closely as possible.

          ELITETRACK Founder

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