(Very) high creatine kinase (CK) levels after Whole-Body Electromyostimulation. Are there implications for health?
Language
Document Type
Issue Date
Issue Year
Authors
Editor
Abstract
Recently extreme increases in serum creatine-kinase (CK) concentration after initial whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) were reported that indicating a severe (exertional) rhabdomyolysis. Thus our aim was (1) to verify the reported WB-EMS induced CK-increases, (2) to determine the corresponding consequences for health and (3) to assess physiological CK-adaptation to frequent WB-EMS. Thirty-seven eligible WB-EMS novices and six marathon runners living in the Nürnberg-Erlangen area were included. Trail-I and trial-II determined the effect of one single WB-EMS session to exertion (20 min) on electrolytes, muscular and renal parameters; trial-III evaluated the effect of once a week WB-EMS application for 10 weeks on CK-kinetics. Blood samples of corresponding serum parameters were drawn before, immediately after and 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post WB-EMS exercise. After WB-EMS, serum CK-levels increased by the 96-fold (peak-CK: 23.940 ± 24.545 U/L), 8.5-fold higher compared with CK-increases after a marathon run. However, we did not observe any relevant health consequences with respect to cardiac and renal burdens. Further, following the repeated bout effect, 10 weeks of WB-EMS resulted in a 21-fold reduction of CK-concentration (<1.000 U/l) compared with the baseline test. We confirmed there were exceptionally high CK increases after initial WB-EMS when the intensity was (too) high, but this was ameliorated by a rapid and profound “repeated bout effect” after 10 weeks of WB-EMS application. Although we did not detect any negative consequences in this healthy, well-prepared and medically supervised cohort, initial WB-EMS application to exertion should be strictly avoided in order to prevent hepatic, renal and cardiac incidents.
Journal Title
Volume
Issue
Citation
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine 9.11 (2016): S. 22841-22850. http://www.ijcem.com/files/ijcem0032422.pdf