Journal article
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation during maximal voluntary contraction: a Delphi survey with expert consensus
European Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol.123, pp.2203-2212
2023
PMCID: PMC10492693
PMID: 37247005
Abstract
Purpose: The use of electrical stimulation to assess voluntary activation of muscle/s is a popular method employed in numerous exercise science and health research settings. This Delphi study aimed to collate expert opinion and provide recommendations for best practice when using electrical stimulation during maximal voluntary contractions.
Methods: A two-round Delphi study was undertaken with 30 experts who completed a 62-item questionnaire (Round 1) comprising of open- and closed-ended questions. Consensus was assumed if ≥ 70% of experts selected the same response; such questions were removed from the subsequent Round 2 questionnaire. Responses were also removed if they failed to meet a 15% threshold. Open-ended questions were analysed and converted into closed-ended questions for Round 2. It was assumed there was no clear consensus if a question failed to achieve a ≥ 70% response in Round 2.
Results: A total of 16 out of 62 (25.8%) items reached consensus. Experts agreed that electrical stimulation provides a valid assessment of voluntary activation in specific circumstances, such as during maximal contraction, and this stimulation can be applied at either the muscle or the nerve. Experts recommended using doublet stimuli, self-adhesive electrodes, a familiarisation session, real-time visual or verbal feedback during the contraction, a minimum current increase of + 20% to ensure supramaximal stimulation, and manually triggering stimuli.
Conclusion: The results of this Delphi consensus study can help researchers make informed decisions when considering technical parameters when designing studies involving electrical stimulation for the assessment of voluntary activation.
Details
- Title
- Neuromuscular electrical stimulation during maximal voluntary contraction: a Delphi survey with expert consensus
- Authors
- J O Osborne (Corresponding Author) - UiT The Arctic University of NorwayJ Tallent (Author) - University of EssexO Girard (Author) - The University of Western AustraliaP W Marshall (Author) - Western Sydney UniversityD Kidgell (Author) - Monash Exercise Neuroplasticity Research Unit, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science, Monash University, Melbourne, VA, AustraliaR Buhmann (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Sports & Exercise Science
- Publication details
- European Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol.123, pp.2203-2212
- Publisher
- Springer
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00421-023-05232-1
- ISSN
- 1439-6327
- PMID
- 37247005; PMC10492693
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Grant note
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health; School of Health - Sports & Exercise Science
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99731498502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
156 File views/ downloads
72 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Physiology
- Sport Sciences