Abstract

The acute and adaptive effects of electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscle were investigated in healthy male volunteers. The acute effects, i.e., depletion of phosphagen and glycogen stores and formation of lactate as well as decreases in certain enzyme activities, were similar to those found earlierfor intense muscular exercise. Intermittent electrical stimulation for 4 to 5 weeks did not cause any significant changes in enzyme activities, muscle fibercharacteristics, or mitochondrial properties. A 4-weeks period of electrical stimulation resulted in improvements of muscle strength comparable to the results of a corresponding program of voluntary training. However, the effectsof electrical stimulation appeared more position-specific and less speedspecific than those of voluntary training with slow isokinetic contractions. Verf.-Referat