An interventional study of Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) training and Supervised exercise without whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) in Postmenopausal Women, Overweight and Obesity, sponsored by High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Tunisia. Open to female participants aged 48 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-22.
Sponsored by High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of a 16-week whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) program on body composition, cardiometabolic health, functional capacity, quality of life, and satisfaction with life in overweight/obese postmenopausal women. The study will examine whether adding WB-EMS to a supervised exercise program results in greater improvements in these outcomes compared with the same exercise program performed without electrical stimulation.
Participants will be randomly allocated to either the WB-EMS group or the control group. Both groups will participate in a 16-week supervised exercise program consisting of two sessions per week, with at least 48 hours between consecutive sessions.
Participants in the WB-EMS group will perform supervised exercise sessions with whole-body electrical stimulation. WB-EMS will be delivered using bipolar electrical impulses at a frequency of 85 Hz and a pulse width of 350 μs, with an intermittent stimulation pattern of 4 seconds of stimulation followed by 4 seconds of rest. The exercise program will include dynamic resistance and functional exercises involving major muscle groups, including squats, lunges, upper-body pushing and pulling movements, and trunk exercises.
The control group will perform the same supervised exercise program without electrical stimulation. Exercise type, session duration, weekly frequency, intervention duration, supervision, and progression will be matched between groups to isolate the additional effects of WB-EMS.
This study is designed to investigate the effects of a 16-week whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) program on body composition, cardiometabolic markers, functional capacity, quality of life, and satisfaction with life in overweight/obese postmenopausal women. A total of 30 overweight/obese postmenopausal women will be randomly allocated to either the whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). Participants in both groups will participate in a 16-week supervised exercise program consisting of two sessions per week, with at least 48 hours between consecutive sessions.
Participants in the WB-EMS group will perform 20-minute exercise sessions while receiving whole-body electrical stimulation. WB-EMS will be delivered using bipolar electrical impulses at a frequency of 85 Hz and a pulse width of 350 μs, with an intermittent stimulation pattern of 4 seconds of stimulation followed by 4 seconds of rest. During the sessions, participants will perform dynamic resistance and functional exercises involving major muscle groups, including squats, lunges, upper-body pushing and pulling movements, and trunk exercises.
The control group will perform the same supervised exercise program without electrical stimulation. Exercise type, session duration, weekly frequency, intervention duration, supervision, and progression will be matched between groups to isolate the additional effects of WB-EMS.
Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after the 16-week intervention. The assessments will include body composition, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, functional capacity assessed using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), fasting blood glucose, and lipid profile [triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)]. Quality of life and satisfaction with life will also be assessed using validated questionnaires.
11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 67 across 9,006 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.
Browse Obesity studies →High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef is the lead sponsor of 10 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Compared within Obesity, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Overweight. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
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.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
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).
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.
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
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.
Autoimmune disease
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will participate in a 16-week supervised exercise program consisting of two sessions per week, with at least 48 hours between consecutive sessions. Each session will include 20 minutes of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) combined with dynamic resistance and functional exercises involving major muscle groups, including squats, lunges, upper-body pushing and pulling movements, and trunk exercises. WB-EMS will be delivered using bipolar electrical impulses at a frequency of 85 Hz and a pulse width of 350 μs, with an intermittent stimulation pattern of 4 seconds of stimulation followed by 4 seconds of rest. Exercise type, session duration, weekly frequency, supervision, and progression will be standardized throughout the intervention.
Other: Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) training
Participants will participate in the same 16-week supervised exercise program consisting of two sessions per week, with at least 48 hours between consecutive sessions. Participants will perform the same dynamic resistance and functional exercises as the WB-EMS group, including squats, lunges, upper-body pushing and pulling movements, and trunk exercises, but without electrical stimulation. Exercise type, session duration, weekly frequency, supervision, and progression will be matched to those of the WB-EMS group.
Behavioral: Supervised exercise without whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS)
Participants will complete a 16-week supervised exercise program consisting of two sessions per week, with at least 48 hours between consecutive sessions. The WB-EMS group will perform 20-minute sessions while receiving bipolar electrical stimulation at 85 Hz with a pulse width of 350 μs, using an intermittent 4-second stimulation/4-second rest pattern. Exercises will include squats, lunges, upper-body pushing and pulling movements, and trunk exercises targeting major muscle groups. Stimulation intensity will be individually adjusted according to participants' tolerance, with a target perceived intensity of approximately 5-7 on a 0-10 scale.
The control group will perform the same exercise program without electrical stimulation. Exercise type, session duration, weekly frequency, intervention duration, supervision, and progression will be matched between groups to isolate the additional effect of WB-EMS.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI calculated as weight (kg) divided by height squared (m²)
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention.
Body fat percentage
Bodyfat percentage determined from four skinfold sites (biceps, triceps, subscapular, and supra-iliac) using a calibrated Harpenden Skinfold Caliper. Measurements expressed as %.
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Waist circumference
Measured at the narrowest point between the rib cage and iliac crest using a non-elastic tape measure. Measurements expressed in cm.
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention.]
Hip circumference
Measured at the widest point of the hips using a non-elastic tape measure. Measurements expressed in cm.
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Total Cholesterol
Plasma total cholesterol concentration (mg/dL).
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention.
Triglycerides
Plasma triglyceride concentration (mg/dL)
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol
Plasma HDL cholesterol concentration (mg/dL)
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol
Plasma LDL cholesterol concentration (mg/dL)
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention.
6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) Distance
Distance walked in 6 minutes on a 30-meter straight corridor
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention.
Menopause-specific quality-of-life score (MENQOL)
Menopause-specific quality of life will be assessed using the validated Arabic version of the 29-item Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL). Higher scores indicate poorer quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Fasting glucose
Fasting plasma glucose concentration (mmol/L).
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Blood Pressure (Systolic and Diastolic)
Measured using an automated arm cuff (Omron BP652)
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Resting Heart Rate
Measured using automated device (Omron BP652)
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Satisfaction with life
Global life satisfaction will be assessed using the validated Arabic version of the 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Each item is scored from 1 to 7, with a total score ranging from 5 to 35. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction with life
Time frame: Baseline and after the 16 weeks of the training intervention
Plan to share: No — For confidentiality reasons, all data from this study are available upon request
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High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Kef