People with cancer can benefit from EMS training
Regular physical activity can protect against cancer, promote healing and prevent relapses. This is well known.
A research group at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg ( fau.de ) has found in a study that whole-body EMS training can help cancer patients in the fight against tumors. The scientists have shown that EMS training releases so-called myokines, which can be effective against tumors even in patients with severe cancer.
What are myokines?
Myokines (derived from “mys” for muscle and “kinos” for movement) are important messenger substances that are produced and released by muscle cells during active muscle exercise. These myokines:
- stop inflammation,
- regulate the immune system,
- slow down the growth of diseased cells and
- can even destroy them.
In previous studies, patients in the early stages of cancer were primarily examined, as it was assumed that patients in advanced stages could not train intensively enough to stimulate myokine production. However, EMS training offers a way to activate these important messenger substances even with low physical exertion.
study by the Friedrich-Alexander University
The study examined 30 subjects, 12 of whom had colon cancer and 18 of whom had prostate cancer. All participants were given the same instructions for a healthy and protein-rich diet.
14 subjects (6 with colon cancer and 8 with prostate cancer) performed EMS training twice a week for 12 weeks. The remaining 16 patients formed the control group. The EMS training was carried out with the following parameters:
- Frequency: 85 Hertz
- Pulse depth: 350 microseconds
- Pause time: 4 seconds
- Pulse duration: 6 seconds
Before and after the training phase, blood samples from all patients were analyzed to evaluate the effect of EMS training.
results of the study
The results showed impressive effects of EMS training:
- The blood serum of EMS-trained prostate cancer patients inhibited the growth of cancer cells by 7 to 11.6%.
- In colon cancer patients, inhibition was 9.1 to 13.2%.
- 28.1% of a prostate and 14.4% of a colon cancer cell line were destroyed by the “myokine-loaded” blood serum.
- Healthy cells, however, remained undamaged.
These results demonstrate that EMS training can be an effective adjunct to cancer treatment, especially for patients who are unable to perform intense physical activity.
Conclusion
In order to increase the proportion of anti-tumor myokines in the blood serum, the study recommends stimulating the large skeletal muscle groups twice a week with EMS training. EMS training offers an effective and gentle way to support healing, especially for people with cancer who find physical activity difficult.
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The results of this study were published in the journal “The Journal of Physiology.” You can find out more here: The Journal of Physiology .