Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation on Metabolic Syndrome in Adults at Moderate-to-High Cardiometabolic Risk—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

In the present work, we aimed to determine the effect of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors in people at moderate-to-high cardiometabolic risk. The present meta-analysis is based on a systematic literature search of a recent evidence map, which searched five electronic databases, two registers, and Google Scholar, according to PRISMA, until 31 March 2023. Controlled trials comprising adult cohorts with central obesity that compared the effect of WB-EMS versus controls using a continuous score representing MetS were included. We applied a random-effects meta-analysis and used the inverse heterogeneity model to analyze the data of the five eligible trials identified by our search. Outcome measures were standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%-CIs). The risk of bias was determined using the PEDro-Score. In summary, we identified five eligible articles containing 117 participants in the WB-EMS group and 117 participants in the control group. We observed a small effect (SMD: −0.30; 95%-CI: −0.04 to −0.56) in favor of the WB-EMS intervention. The heterogeneity between the trials was very low (I2: 0%); further evidence for risks of small study/publication bias was minimal. The methodologic quality of these studies can be classified as moderate to high. In summary, the present work provides evidence of the favorable effect of WB-EMS on cardiometabolic risk in adults at moderate–high cardiometabolic risk. Considering the time effectiveness of WB-EMS, along with its safety and attractiveness, as indicated by the five studies, WB-EMS can be regarded as a feasible training option for people at cardiometabolic risk.

Keywords

• whole-body electromyostimulation
• electrostimulation
• intervention
• cardiometabolic risk
• metabolic syndrome
• obesity