WB-EMS Market Development-Perspectives and Threats

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) is a time-efficient training method allowing personalized intensity control.
• Past misuse led to guidelines and regulations, ensuring safety through qualified personnel and certified equipment.
• Market trends now promote unsupervised WB-EMS for private use, potentially undermining established safety standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of unsupervised WB-EMS application in the private sector.
• To analyze the impact of recent market developments on WB-EMS safety standards.
• To assess the risks associated with shifting responsibility from certified trainers to individual users.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and expert guidelines on WB-EMS.
• Analysis of market trends and commercial offerings for private WB-EMS use.
• Comparative assessment of supervised versus unsupervised WB-EMS application risks.

Main Results:

• Unsupervised WB-EMS application lacks control for potential overload, increasing risks.
• The shift of responsibility to untrained individuals represents a regression in safe WB-EMS practices.
• Private, inadequately supervised WB-EMS poses significant dangers to users and the overall market.

Conclusions:

• Private, unsupervised WB-EMS application carries more risks than benefits.
• Maintaining professional supervision and certified equipment is essential for safe WB-EMS.
• The proliferation of non-supervised WB-EMS threatens user safety and market integrity.