Shocking the muscles: new study tests electrical stimulation to fight aging weakness
NCT ID NCT06689618
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests whether whole-body electrical muscle stimulation (WB-EMS) combined with exercise can improve muscle activation and physical function in healthy older adults aged 65 and older. Participants will use a special suit with electrodes that stimulate major muscle groups during exercise sessions twice a week for four weeks. The study aims to see if this approach can bypass age-related declines in nerve-to-muscle signaling.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Whole-body electrical muscle stimulation (WB-EMS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple exercise method to help older adults maintain muscle strength and mobility.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 12 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is short (4 weeks) and may not produce lasting benefits.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 12 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Aug 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Jun 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age (65 years or older) for healthy older adults and between 18-39 for healthy younger adults * Ambulatory without an assistive device * More than anti-gravity strength in major muscle groups as assessed by manual muscle testing * Medical clearance to participate in an exercise program * Ability to conform to the requirements of the study (i.e. attendance at assessment and intervention visits, maintain current level of non-study physical activity for the duration of the study, no intention to relocate mid-study) Exclusion Criteria: * Regular use of an assistive device for mobility (i.e. cane, walker, wheelchair) * Presence of a pacemaker, metal implants, or other implanted medical devices that could impact participant safety during WB-EMS intervention * Known pregnancy at the time of screening * Presence of unstable acute or chronic disease (i.e. renal failure, rheumatologic disease cardia arrhythmia, neoplasm, uncontrolled hypertension) * Presence of terminal disease (i.e. receiving hospice services) * Current of previous use of any drugs known to influence muscle mass or performance within 6 months; these may include but are not limited to anabolic steroids, IGF01, growth hormone, replacement and androgen therapy, anti-androgen therapy. * Known neuromuscular or neurologic condition affecting somatosensory or motor function/control (i.e. motor neuron disease, muscle disease, severe peripheral neuropathy, NMJ disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, h/o stroke, TBI, SCI, ataxia, apraxia, hemiplegia, etc.) * Musculoskeletal condition or surgery in the past year that would confound results of exercise interventions (i.e. TKA, THA, RTC repair, spinal fusion) * Other medical conditions, signs, or symptoms that would interfere with study conduct or interpretation of results as determined by a PI
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Aging are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
NextGen Precision Health Building, Clinical and Translational Science Unit
RECRUITINGColumbia, Missouri, 65211, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can sharing old memories boost mental Well-Being in old age?
- Can a Hands-On reflex therapy steady an older Person's stance?
- Can a bone drug also build muscle? trial tests denosumab for sarcopenia
- Scientists ask: when does a balance test score really improve?
- Gut check: can poop pills from young donors turn back the biological clock?
- Can tai chi rebuild strength and balance in aging muscles?