Skiing (February 2005)

Start Twitching

Electronic muscle stimulators get no respect—but they should

Don't automatically disregard everything you see at 4 a.m. on the Home Shopping Network. Those sketchy ab gizmos—the ones they claim will make your doughy midsection Hulk Hogan-strong by zapping electrical pulses through your muscles—may not be gimmicks. In fact, for years electromuscular stimulation (EMS) devices have helped injured athletes regain use of weakened muscles by using electrical currents to induce involuntary contractions. But a University of Ulster (U.K.) trial completed last April suggests that EMS may help healthy athletes supplement their everyday exercise regimens by significantly improving endurance strength and recovery time. The French and Austrian Ski Federations endorse electromuscular stimulation products and Austrian uber-athlete Hermann Maier used EMS to help recover from his near-fatal 2001 motorcycle accident. Europeans have bought more than 500,000 units in the past eight years—and in April 2002, electro-therapy giant Compex introduced the first FDA-approved, over-the-counter EMS products in the U.S. ($500; compex.us). Will this be the biggest health fad since the Thighmaster? We're not buying stock, but if EMS can help us dominate bump runs without the extra squats, it's worth a shot.

—Kate Siber