Yoshio Takano

Oxygen Uptake during Aerobic Cycling Exercise Simultaneously Combined with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation of Antagonists

The purpose of this study was to evaluate oxygen uptake 2 (VO )  during aerobic exercise with a Hybrid Training System (HTS) at a moderate intensity. Recently it is said that the combined application of electrical stimulation (ES) and Volitional Contractions (VC) is effective. A Hybrid Training System (HTS) has been developed as a resistance exercise method combining ES with VC, and using electrically stimulated eccentric antagonist muscle contractions as a resistance to voluntary agonist muscle contractions. The benefits of combining aerobic exercise and resistance exercise have also been reported. Therefore, we devised an exercise method that combines the resistance exercise of HTS with aerobic cycling exercise. However, the influence of HTS on aerobic exercise has not been confirmed. Outcome measurements of expired gas were compared during conventional ergometer exercise with and without HTS. 11 healthy young men exercised on a cycle ergometer starting at 20 Watts and increasing by 20 Watts every 3 minutes to 100 Watts, with volitional contractions alone (VER) and with HTS (HER). During each VER and HER test, 2 VO  , carbon dioxide output 2 (VCO )  , expired ventilation (VE) and heart rate (HR) was measured. HR, 22 VO ,VCO  and VE  showed a linear relation with workload during both VER and HER. 2 VO  during HER was significantly higher than during VER at an average of about 21.1% (p<0.001). HER at moderate intensity seems to result in a linear relationship between 2 VO  and the work rate in the same way as conventional aerobic exercise. Furthermore HER resulted in stronger exercise intensity than VER with the same workload. HTS may be a novel exercise technique that could combine resistance exercise with aerobic exercise.

Cycling exercise to resist electrically stimulated antagonist increases oxygen uptake in males: Pilot study

A hybrid training system (HTS) has been developed as the combined application of electrical stimulation (ES) and volitional contractions (VC), using electrically stimulated eccentric antagonist muscle contractions as a resistance to voluntary agonist muscle contractions. The purpose of the present study is to compare the metabolic cost between cycling exercise using HTS as added resistance (HTC) and unloaded cycling exercise (ULC). Twelve male subjects exercised on a leg cycle ergometer. After 5 min rest and 5 min warm up, they performed ULC for 5 min or HTC for 5 min. During rest and each exercise, the steady state of oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide output (VCO2), expired ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and heart rate (HR) were measured. The values of VO2, VCO2, VE, and HR during HTC were significantly greater than during ULC (p < 0.05). Relative VO2 was 16.7% +/- 2.1% of peak VO2 during ULC, and it was 21.1% +/- 3.4% during HTC. However, there was no significant difference in RER between ULC and HTC. These findings indicate that the combined application of VC and ES could lead to a greater increase in metabolic cost. HTS seems to be applicable as a resistance of motion.

Walking Exercise Simultaneously Combined With Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation of Antagonists Resistance Improved Muscle Strength, Physical Function, and Knee Pain in Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Arm Study.

Abstract Matsuse, H, Hashida, R, Takano, Y, Omoto, M, Nago, T, Bekki, M, and Shiba, N. Walking exercise simultaneously combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation of antagonists resistance improved muscle strength, physical function, and knee pain in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a single-arm study. J Strength Cond Res 31(1): 171–180, 2017—A hybrid training system (HTS) was developed as a way to combine the application of electrical stimulation and voluntary contraction. Moreover, we developed a novel training method using HTS during walking (HTSW). This study was designed to evaluate the effect of HTSW on muscle strength, physical function, and knee pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Eleven subjects (age: 74.0 ± 8.5 years) participated and performed HTSW for 30 minutes 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Isokinetic knee extension/knee flexion torque, muscle volume, one-leg standing test (OST), functional reach test, 10-m maximum gait speed, timed up and go test, 6-minute walking test, knee pain using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Japan Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM) were assessed. Knee extension torque significantly increased from 1.02 ± 0.29 N·m·kg−1 pretraining to 1.23 ± 0.33 N·m·kg−1 posttraining (P < 0.01, ES = 0.68). Knee flexion torque significantly increased from 0.65 ± 0.18 N·m·kg−1 pretraining to 0.78 ± 0.17 N·m·kg−1 posttraining (p < 0.01). Muscle volume significantly increased from 9.00 ± 2.84 mm pretraining to 10.37 ± 3.16 mm at the end of training (p ⩽ 0.05). All the physical functions except OST were significantly improved. The JKOM score improved from 26.7 ± 18.30 pretraining to 17.2 ± 14.02 at the end of training (p < 0.01). The VAS score significantly decreased from 35.4 ± 22.59 pretraining to 16.5 ± 19.73 at the end of training (p ⩽ 0.05). Hybrid training system during walking may be an effective training method for the treatment of people with KOA.

Basic study on a walking assist system with electrical stimulation for elderly people

The purpose of this study is to examine the usefulness of a walking assist system using electrical stimulation. Thirty-two elderly people (18 men and 14 women) having no medical problems and five healthy young men participated in the study. The electrical stimulation was carried out in two cases: 1) hybrid training (HYBT) for the elderly subjects, 2) assisted walking aimed at eventual application in elderly individuals. The intensity of the electrical stimulation is 80 % in case 1) and three patterns of 60 %, 70 %, and 80 % of the measured maximum tolerable voltage (mMTV) in case 2). The HYBT effectiveness was the same or greater than that of weight machine training (WMT), and could improve the motor function of the lower limbs. During the assisted walking, the peak value of the vertical acceleration of the third lumber vertebra increased in contrast with the non-assisted walking. Steps and changes in the peak acceleration values in the sagittal plane also showed a tendency to increase due to the electrical stimulation. These results suggest that electrical stimulation can contribute to restore the weakened physical function of elderly individuals. The restoration will reduce the risk of falls and increase the daily activities.