An interventional study of Lower-body Electromyostimulation (LB-EMS) device and Lower Body Resistance Training in Sarcopenia, Arteriosclerosis and Arterial Stiffness, Blood Pressure, sponsored by Seoul National University. Completed at 1 site in South Korea. Open to female participants aged 50 Years to 70 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-15.
Sponsored by Seoul National University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
This study evaluates the effects of a 8-week lower body Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) training program on body composition, muscle function, and arteriosclerosis markers in postmenopausal women.
Menopause is associated with a rapid decline in estrogen, which increases the risk of sarcopenia (muscle loss) and arterial stiffness (cardiovascular disease). While resistance training is effective for these conditions, participation rates among postmenopausal women are often low. This study investigates whether applying EMS during lower body resistance exercises provides superior benefits compared to resistance training alone or no intervention.
Participants will be randomized into three groups:
The study aims to verify the efficacy of EMS as a time-efficient and effective alternative exercise modality for improving vascular and musculoskeletal health in this population.
1,329 studies on the registry are indexed under Sarcopenia; 420 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 38 is below the median of 60 across 855 interventional studies indexed under Sarcopenia.
Browse Sarcopenia studies →Seoul National University is the lead sponsor of 32 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Postmenopausal
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants perform lower body resistance training while wearing a lower body EMS suit. Each session lasts 50 minutes (10-min warm-up, 30-min main exercise, 10-min cool-down). EMS stimulation is applied exclusively during the 30-minute main exercise phase (85Hz, 350µs). This program is conducted twice a week for 8 weeks.
Device: Lower-body Electromyostimulation (LB-EMS) device · Behavioral: Lower Body Resistance Training
Participants perform the identical lower body resistance training program without EMS stimulation. The session structure (10-min warm-up, 30-min main exercise, 10-min cool-down) and total duration (50 minutes) are the same as the experimental group.
Behavioral: Lower Body Resistance Training
Participants maintain their usual daily lifestyle without engaging in any new exercise programs during the 6-week study period.
Electrical stimulation applied to the lower body muscles (85Hz, 350µs) during the main exercise phase
A 50-minute session consisting of a 10-minute warm-up, 30 minutes of main lower body resistance training (4 types of machine-based exercises per session), and a 10-minute cool-down
Body Fat Percentage
Assessed using BIA. The proportion of fat mass relative to total body weight. Unit of Measure: %
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Highest Brachial-ankle Pulse Wave Velocity (baPWV)
An indicator of arterial stiffness. Higher values indicate stiffer arteries. Unit of Measure: cm/s
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Peak Torque (Knee Extension/Flexion) per body weight
The maximum torque produced during isokinetic knee extension and flexion. Assessed at a 60°/s angular velocity. Unit of Measure: Nm (Newton-meters)/kg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Skeletal Muscle Mass
Assessed using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Represents the total weight of muscle tissue attached to the skeleton. Unit of Measure: kg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Total Body Fat Mass
Assessed using BIA. Represents the total weight of adipose tissue in the body. Unit of Measure: kg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI)
Calculated as appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) divided by height squared (kg/m\^2). Used to assess sarcopenia status. Unit of Measure: kg/m\^2
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Waist Circumference
Measured at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the iliac crest using a standard anthropometric tape, with the participant standing and breathing normally. Unit of Measure: cm
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR)
Calculated as waist circumference divided by hip circumference. An indicator of central adiposity and cardiometabolic risk. Unit of Measure: ratio
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Estimated Visceral Fat Area (eVFA)
Assessed using BIA. Represents the cross-sectional area of visceral adipose tissue surrounding the abdominal organs. Unit of Measure: cm\^2
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Average Brachial-ankle Pulse Wave Velocity (baPWV)
An indicator of arterial stiffness. Average values indicate stiffer arteries. Unit of Measure: cm/s
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)
The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) is the ratio of the systolic blood pressure measured at the ankle to the systolic blood pressure measured at the brachial artery. It is a non-invasive indicator used to assess the presence and severity of peripheral arterial stenosis or occlusion. Lower ABI values (typically \< 0.9) suggest narrowing or blockage of the arteries in the legs. Unit of Measure: ratio
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP)
Measured using an automated oscillometric device after at least 5 minutes of seated rest. Represents the peak arterial pressure during ventricular contraction. Unit of Measure: mmHg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP)
Measured using an automated oscillometric device after at least 5 minutes of seated rest. Represents the minimum arterial pressure during ventricular relaxation. Unit of Measure: mmHg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Pulse Pressure (PP)
The difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It is a marker of arterial stiffness. Unit of Measure: mmHg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)
Calculated as (SBP + 2 × DBP) / 3. Represents the average arterial pressure during one cardiac cycle. Unit of Measure: mmHg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Total Work Done per body weight
The total amount of work performed by the muscle groups during the test protocol(Knee extension/flexion) at an angular velocity of 180°/s. Unit of Measure: Nm/kg
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Fatigue Index
The percentage decline in peak torque calculated from the difference between the initial and final repetitions during a set of isokinetic contractions performed at an angular velocity of 180°/s. Unit of Measure: %
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Hamstring-Quadriceps Ratio (H/Q Ratio)
The ratio of the peak torque of the hamstring muscles to the peak torque of the quadriceps muscles measured at an angular velocity of 60°/s. Unit of Measure: ratio
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Bilateral Deficit
The percentage difference between the sum of peak torques produced by each leg individually and the peak torque produced when both legs act simultaneously, measured at an angular velocity of 60°/s. Unit of Measure: %
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Plan to share: No
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Seoul National University