Impact of Electrical Muscle Stimulation During Prolonged Sitting Combined with Mental Stress - A Pilot Study

Authors

Takanobu Okamoto, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Lin-Sheng Chen, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Daniela Charry, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Kazumasa Manabe, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Kelvin Phan, The University of Texas at AustinFollow
Hirofumi Tanaka, University of Texas at AustinFollow

Abstract

Mental stress superimposed on prolonged sitting is a common encounter. Both conditions are known to induce vascular dysfunction and impair executive function. While physical activity during sitting can mitigate these adverse effects, such activity is not always permissible for college students studying for important exams and office workers approaching critical deadlines. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) of the lower limb muscles has been proposed as a potential alternative to voluntary exercise and might help preserve vascular and cognitive function under these conditions. PURPOSE: This pilot study investigated whether EMS could attenuate arterial stiffening and cognitive decline induced by combined prolonged sitting and mental stress. METHODS: So far, three young healthy adults (mean age: 27 ± 1 years) completed a 3-hour sitting protocol. Mental stress tasks using mental arithmetic tests were performed at 30, 90, and 150 minutes after the start of sitting. In the EMS condition, EMS was applied to the thigh muscles following each stress task, whereas no EMS was applied in the control (CON) condition. Arterial stiffness was assessed using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and femoral-ankle PWV (faPWV). Cognitive function was evaluated using a Go/No-go task before and after the prolonged sitting. RESULTS: After prolonged sitting, cfPWV did not change in either trial (CON: 653 ± 64 to 682 ± 74 cm/sec, EMS: 689 ± 24 to 653 ± 33 cm/sec). Compared with baseline, peripheral arterial stiffness as assessed by faPWV increased markedly after prolonged sitting in the CON trial (CON: 820 ± 35 to 913 ± 46 cm/sec), whereas the increase in the EMS trial was attenuated (EMS: 802 ± 31 to 867 ± 88 cm/sec). In contrast, the reaction time in the Go/No-go task increased in the CON trial (481 ± 88 to 515 ± 74 msec) while decreased in the EMS trial (508 ± 35 to 471 ± 20 msec). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that EMS tends to mitigate the increase in peripheral arterial stiffness and help preserve cognitive function during combined prolonged sitting and mental stress.

Recommended Citation

Okamoto, Takanobu; Chen, Lin-Sheng; Charry, Daniela; Manabe, Kazumasa; Phan, Kelvin; and Tanaka, Hirofumi (2025) "Impact of Electrical Muscle Stimulation During Prolonged Sitting Combined with Mental Stress - A Pilot Study," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2: Iss. 17, Article 154.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss17/154