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Crowe, Louis
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Crowe, Louis
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Crowe, Louis
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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
- PublicationA pilot investigation into the effects of electrical muscle stimulation training on physical fitness in an adult cystic fibrosis population(2010-04)
; ; ; ; ; ; Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting genetic disease in caucasians. Skeletal muscle weakness and exercise intolerance is prevalent in people with cystic fibrosis. Although higher levels of fitness have been associated with better quality of well-being and improved eight year survival training among individuals with CF is limited due to fatigue, hypoxaemia and dyspnoea.Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has demonstrated improvements in muscle strength, exercise tolerance and aerobic capacity in cardiorespiratory disease populations, while having minimal impact on oxygen saturation levels and heart rate.710 - PublicationComparative effect of a 1 h session of electrical muscle stimulation and walking activity on energy expenditure and substrate oxidation in obese subjects(NRC Research Press, 2013)
; ; ; ; It has previously been shown that low-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) techniques can induce increases in energy expenditure similar to those associated with exercise. This study investigated the metabolic and cardiovascular effects of a 1 h session of lower limb NMES and compared cardiovascular response with that observed during walking in nine obese subjects (three males) (age = 43.8 ± 3.0 years; body mass index (BMI) = 41.5 ± 1.8 kg/m2). The NMES protocol consisted of delivering a complex pulse pattern to the thigh muscles for 1 h. The walking test consisted of five 4-min bouts starting at 2 km/h with 1 km/h increments up to 6 km/h. In both tests, an open-circuit gas analyser was used to assess O2 consumption (O2), CO2 production (CO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and heart rate (HR). Rates of fat oxidation (RFO) and carbohydrate oxidation (CHO) were estimated by indirect calorimetry. One hour of NMES significantly increased O2, HR, RER, and mean energy expenditure compared with resting values, reaching 8.7 ± 1.3 mL·min−2·kg−1 (47% of O2peak), 114.8 ± 7.5 bpm, 0.95, and 318.5 ± 64.3 kcal/h, respectively. CHO, but not RFO, increased during 1 h of NMES. With NMES, CHO was greater and RFO was less than at all walking speeds except 6 km/h. Lactate also increased more with NMES, to 3.5 ± 0.7 mmol versus a maximum of 1.5 ± 0.3 mmol with the walking protocol. These results suggest that NMES can be used in an obese population to induce an effective cardiovascular exercise response. In fact, the observed increase in energy expenditure induced by 1 h of NMES is clinically important and comparable with that recommended in weight management programs.1262Scopus© Citations 17 - PublicationAn investigation into the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation exercise in type 2 diabetes : a case study(2010-05-14)
; ; ; Exercise is a vital component in the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Both the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) advocate exercise as a treatment method for T2D. However, given the benefits of engaging in physical activity, many T2D patients are often unable to partake in physical activity secondary to complications of their diabetes or other musculoskeletal problems. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) exercise is a likely alternative for diabetic individuals who face barriers to physical activity. NMES has received much attention in recent years as a new form of inducing exercise. The ability of NMES to stimulate innervated muscle has resulted in it’s use as a training tool for individuals without neuromuscular pathology. Banerjee and colleagues showed that prolonged NMES exercise in sedentary adults resulted in significant improvements in maximal aerobic capacity, muscle strength and capacity for physical activity. The aim of this case study was to investigate the use of NMES exercise in T2D.1351 - PublicationThe effects of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation training intervention on physiological measures in a spinal cord injured male : a case study(Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, 2010-04)
; ; ; ; Background: People with spinal cord injury (SCI) are exposed to the development of comorbidities secondary to a decreased ability to exercise and pathological complications. Aerobic exercise has been advocated as a means of preventing the development of these illnesses. Previous research has indicated that functional electrical stimulation (FES) provides an appropriate aerobic stimulus in an SCI population to provide cardiovascular fitness gains. However, FES devices are time consuming for both clients and medical staff in a rehabilitation and home setting with devices often expensive. Our research group have developed a novel neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) system which may provide an alternative to FES and elicit a similar response. Methods: A 40 year old male with a T6 incomplete SCI, undertook 6 weeks of NMES training for one hour, five days per week. Pre and post intervention measures include a treadmill VO2 peak test, a DXA scan and subjective feedback regarding the NMES device and training stimulus. Results: Improvements in VO2 peak, heart rate and exercise tolerance were observed with minor decreases in total body fat mass. The participant reported that the NMES was an acceptable form of cardiovascular training. Conclusion: Our pilot case study has indicated that our NMES system is capable of eliciting an aerobic training effect in people with SCI, which could potentially improve their cardiovascular fitness. Further study with a greater number of participants is warranted in this population using a similar training program.2048 - PublicationNeuromuscular electrical stimulation exercise: a potential alternative to conventional exercise in the management of type 2 diabetes(ABCD (Diabetes Care), 2017)
; ; ; Aims: Exercise is fundamental in the prevention and treatmentof type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, many individualsface barriers to exercise. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES) is an alternative to conventional exercise that mayprove beneficial in the treatment of T2D. The aim of thisstudy was to investigate the effects of an 8-week NMESexercise programme in a T2D population.Methods: A repeated measures one-group cohort interventionstudy was conducted. Thirteen T2D participants (age 52.06.9years, height 1.790.06 m, weight 104.511.9 kg, BMI 32.84.3kg/m2) underwent an 8-week NMES intervention. Venousblood markers, body composition, blood pressure, quadricepsstrength and predicted maximal oxygen consumption wereassessed at baseline and after the 8-week intervention.Results: Significant improvements in fasting plasma glucose,percentage body fat and peak isometric quadriceps torquewere noted following the intervention (p<0.05).Conclusions: The principal findings of this study were thatNMES can improve body composition, muscle strength andglycaemic control in T2D participants. NMES may thereforeprovide an alternative to those individuals with T2D whohave barriers to exercise participation. Further randomisedcontrolled trials with larger participant numbers are requiredto investigate this further.532Scopus© Citations 5