Electrostimulation - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

WHAT IS ELECTRICAL MUSCLE STIMULATION (EMS)?

Electrostimulation (EMS) is a tried and tested medical treatment method, used for rehabilitation, pain treatment and for training sportsmen and women.

The working principle behind EMS is very simple. It faithfully reproduces the process by which muscle contractions are controlled by the brain. So, with EMS, the activity in your muscles is triggered by electrical impulses sent by our devices to the motor nerve. Your muscle cannot distinguish between a contraction triggered by your brain and one triggered by electrostimulation. This is known as electrically induced contraction.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COMPEX ELECTROSTIMULATION?

Compex electrostimulation uses very high quality and high comfort level currents. There are several benefits:

TRAINING:

• Improve muscle strength
• Optimize training
• Prevent injuries

RECOVERY:

• Reduce muscle soreness
• Recover after training
• Reviving massage

PAIN RELIEF:

• Reduce muscle tension
• Relieve muscular and joint pains
• Reduce heavy legs

WELLNESS:

• Sculpt your body
• Tone your muscles
• Shape your body

Electrostimulation can be used in an intense way in complete safety:

• Without causing nervous fatigue
• By protecting your joints
• Electrostimulation has no side effects; it is a non-invasive treatment method, often an effective alternative to drugs, for pain treatment.

HOW DO I USE THE DEVICE?

You can consult our quick start guide and instructions for use to find our recommendations for use.

IS MUSCLE STIMULATION NATURAL?

Muscle stimulation is not a doping technique.

It is a perfectly safe and uniquely complementary technique of voluntary training. This technique is capable of inducing muscular stability (or facilitating recovery) resulting from a high intensity muscular activity, that is very different from a purely passive technique that does not require the serious involvement or the motivation of the athlete.

No national or international sports body or federation, including the International Olympics Committee, assimilates the use of electrostimulation to a doping practice or bans the use of this technique.

There are many reasons for this position:

NO HARMFUL EFFECT ON HEALTH

No harmful effect on health whether in the short, medium or long term has ever been recorded ; even in subjects using this technique daily for many years, as is sometimes necessary for some medical situations.

THE EFFECT IS NATURAL

The electricity possesses no property which would enable the slightest artificial development of the neuro-muscular system. The effect is natural.

THE MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS ARE COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF VOLUNTARY TRAINING

The muscular gains generated by electrostimulation are only the consequence of the work (= the contractions) done by the muscle, in response to the stimulation of its motor nerve. To be effective, the muscle contractions that are electrically induced must necessarily be powerful, Gilles Cometti of the Performance Expertise Center of the University of Dijon, considered that minimum tension at least equal to 60% of maximum strength was required in trained athletes, in order to increase strength, which requires a certain amount of self-sacrifice, comparable to what is required in numerous sessions of voluntary training.

MUSCULAR WISDOM : A MUSCLE USED EXCESSIVELY BY ELECTROSTIMULATION BECOMES EXHAUSTED AND ENDS UP NO LONGER CONTRACTING

There is a saturation phenomenon which the Anglo-Saxons call ‘muscle wisdom’ whose effect is that a muscle used excessively (too long or too often) by electrostimulation becomes exhausted and ends up no longer contracting in response to stimulation. This therefore excludes the use of long term exposures which are completely ineffective.

COMPLEMENTARY AND NON-SUBSTITUTIVE TECHNIQUE OF VOLUNTARY TRAINING

Electrostimulation is a complementary and non-substitutive technique of voluntary training. In fact, sports performance is the sum of numerous qualities: cardiovascular, technical… and muscular, the sole component on which electrostimulation is effective. The story of the athlete who has improved his performance after replacing his voluntary training sessions with electrostimulation sessions is nothing more than a crazy myth.

RECOVERY PROGRAMS ARE NOT LIKELY TO IMPROVE MUSCULAR PERFORMANCE

Another indication of neuro-muscular electrostimulation is its use to encourage recovery after a workout. This is achieved using specific active recovery programs which do not require the same self-sacrifice constraints as "muscle building" type programs. The effects are vascular (increase in blood flow), pain relief (release of endorphins) and decontracting and are achieved using a low muscular activity which is not likely to improve muscular performance, even if the sessions are repeated in excess.

WHAT IS MI (MUSCLE INTELLIGENCE) TECHNOLOGY?

Mi-Technology is unique to Compex electrostimulators. This technology takes account of the specificities of each of your muscles and thus offers stimulation adapted to their characteristics.

• It’s simple, since the data is transmitted to the stimulator automatically!
• It’s personalised, as each of our muscles is unique!
• Your training will be automatically personalised and so perfectly adapted to your physiology.

MI-SENSOR

Thanks to the mi-SENSOR miniature sensor a new world of precision and effectiveness is opened up in your workout sessions!

Mi-SENSOR is a small sensor that connects the stimulator to the electrodes. It is the key to measuring some physiological characteristics of the muscle.

MI-SCAN

Just before starting a work session using the MI-SCAN function, the MI-SENSOR senses the selected muscle group and automatically adjusts the stimulator settings to the excitability of this area of the body, depending on your own physiology. It is a truly personalised measurement. MI-SCAN adapts the electrostimulation session to the physiology of each user.

MI-ACTION

With the MI-ACTION function, the MI-SENSOR optimises the effectiveness of your session by letting you combine voluntary contractions and electrostimulated contractions at your own pace. You are truly in control of your training.

MI-ACTION is a work mode in which a voluntary muscular contraction is automatically accompanied by a contraction caused by electrostimulation.

The contraction caused by electrostimulation is therefore perfectly controlled, the workout session thus becomes more comfortable, increased and more complete.

MI-TENS

With the mi-TENS function, the MI-SENSOR makes it easy to adjust the stimulation intensities to be used for pain management programmes. The adjustment takes place instantly and automatically, simplifying the procedure for the user and guaranteeing optimal results.

The MI-TENS function aims to identify and use the optimal stimulation intensity throughout the TENS programme (analgesic).

On the basis of the measurements taken regularly during the session, the device permanently and automatically readjusts the stimulation intensity to avoid any onset of muscular contraction, which is strongly counter-indicated for programmes of this type.

MI-RANGE

With the MI-RANGE function, the MI-SENSOR indicates the optimum stimulation intensity adjustment range (minimum and maximum) for lower frequency programmes such as Recovery or Massage.

Using MI-RANGE, you no longer need to ask yourself whether the intensity you are using is too high or too low: this function tells you, thus optimising the efficiency of your treatment or training.

CAN MUSCLE VOLUME BE INCREASED WITH COMPEX?

Yes. The work carried out during Compex electrostimulation sessions (depending on the programme selected) induces adaptations in the muscle fibres, with one of them being the increase in muscle volume.

CAN THE TISSUES OR MUSCLES BE FIRMED WITH COMPEX?

Yes. Some Compex electrostimulation programmes increase muscle tone and enable firming. In addition, the Capillarisation programme encourages exchanges under the skin and improves its quality, which further increases this firming effect.

DOES COMPEX ELECTROSTIMULATION ALSO PROVIDE ENDURANCE TRAINING?

Yes. The Compex electrostimulation Endurance programme improves the ability of muscle fibres to receive oxygen (develops mitochondria and increases oxidative enzymes) consequently increasing the intensity of the average effort that you can maintain over a long period.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE ACTIVE RECOVERY PROGRAMME?

This programme does not cause contractions; it causes muscular twitches. The frequency of the pulse drops gradually during the session, resulting in three types of effect: an increase in blood flow (faster elimination of toxins), an endorphin analgesic effect, a relaxing effect. The end result is faster restoration of the muscular balance.

AS IT IS POSSIBLE TO TRAIN ISOLATED MUSCLE GROUPS WITH ELECTROSTIMULATION? IS THERE ANY RISK OF DEVELOPING A MUSCULAR IMBALANCE?

No. It is in fact possible using Compex electrostimulation to remove any existing imbalance by training specific muscle groups that are weaker. Compex electrostimulation helps to improve the muscle chain responsible for a movement, strengthening the weakest link!

IS TRAINING WITH COMPEX ALSO SUITABLE FOR ADOLESCENTS OR CHILDREN?

Compex is obviously not a toy, and it must not be used by children without adult supervision. Having said that, as Compex electrostimulation prevents overtaxing the bones and tendons, unlike classic weight training, it can be used to good effect to increase muscle strength in young people without causing any lesions.

HOW LONG DO THE BATTERIES REMAIN CHARGED?

Battery life varies depending on the programmes used and the intensities selected. The average battery life is between 15 and 20 hours.

ARE THERE ANY ABSOLUTE CONTRAINDICATIONS?

Yes. The device must not be used in the case of epilepsy or on people who wear a pacemaker. In addition, stimulation must never be applied around the stomach area in women who are pregnant, or for people suffering from a hernia or eventration. In addition, the electrodes must never be placed on the head.

ARE THERE ANY LONG-TERM RISKS WITH ELECTROSTIMULATION?

No. Muscular stimulation and electrotherapy in general has existed for decades and no problems have ever been found.

WHERE DO I PLACE THE ELECTRODES?

Where to place the electrodes is indicated in the Compex manuals for the different muscle groups. We also have useful information on our website and Coach App.

IS THERE ANY DANGER FROM BADLY POSITIONED ELECTRODES?

No. There is no danger if the electrodes are badly positioned. The stimulation will simply become less effective.

WHICH INTENSITY LEVEL MUST BE REACHED FOR THE COMPLEMENTARY PROGRAMMES (RECOVERY, CAPILLARISATION)?

The Active Recovery and Capillarisation programmes do not require the use of maximum intensities. However, it is essential that the intensities are high enough to produce good, visible muscular twitches.

WHICH INTENSITY LEVEL MUST BE REACHED FOR THE TRAINING PROGRAMMES (STRENGTH, RESISTANCE, ENDURANCE)?

The highest level possible (but it must remain bearable) in order to recruit the highest possible number of muscle fibres. The most effective way of deciding on the level is your own judgement the contractions must be powerful without ever becoming intolerable.

WHICH INTENSITY LEVEL SHOULD BE REACHED DURING REST PHASES?

During rest phases, the intensity of the twitches is automatically set to 50% of the level for contractions. The aim of the twitches between the contractions is to increase blood flow to improve the recovery rate.

WHY DO I ALSO FEEL TWITCHES DURING THE REST PHASES?

The muscle is also stimulated during the rest phases causing muscle twitches. These twitches help to improve recovery between contractions. They must be clearly visible.