Comparison of the acute metabolic and cardiovascular effects of electrical stimulation and voluntary exercise

Despite being marketed as a fat reduction tool, the effects of electrical stimulation on blood lipid profiles remain underexplored. This study aimed to compare the acute effects of electrical stimulation and voluntary exercise on heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and blood lipid parameters, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL levels. Ten healthy males (mean age: 24.6 ± 1.35 years) participated in a randomized crossover study. Each underwent 20 minutes of either electrical stimulation (faradic current at 50 Hz, 3 seconds stimulation, 6 seconds rest, applied bilaterally to quadriceps) or cycling (60-70% of maximal heart rate), with a 7-day washout period between sessions. Pre- and post-intervention measures included heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL levels. Electrical stimulation significantly altered post-treatment values for cholesterol (183.6 ± 10.94 vs. 185.5 ± 9.70 mg/dL), triglycerides (127.62 ± 29.52 vs. 128.5 ± 29.07 mg/dL), HDL (40.30 ± 4.69 vs. 39.17 ± 5.23 mg/dL), and heart rate (65.60 ± 7.79 vs. 61.40 ± 8.67 beats/min) compared to pre-treatment values (p < 0.05). Similar changes were observed in the cycling group. These findings suggest that electrical stimulation has the potential to influence blood lipid profiles, comparable to moderate-intensity cycling, highlighting its potential as an alternative intervention and warranting further research.