Whole-Body Electromyostimulation Coupled with Aerobic Exercise Boosts Serum Irisin Levels in Healthy Individuals: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Irisin, a myokine secreted during physical activity, has garnered attention for its potential roles in cartilage homeostasis and musculoskeletal health. Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) is an emerging exercise modality that enhances muscle recruitment and may stimulate greater irisin release. This study aimed to compare the acute serum irisin response following aerobic exercise with and without WB-EMS in healthy individuals. Methods: A total of 24 healthy adults were enrolled and randomized to undergo either aerobic physical activity (PA) or WB-EMS (n = 12 each). Both groups performed identical exercise routines, with the WB-EMS group additionally receiving muscle stimulation via a standardized protocol. Serum irisin levels were measured at baseline (T0), 10 minutes post-exercise (T1), and 1 hour post-exercise (T2) using ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using two-way ANOVA with post hoc testing. Results: At T1, serum irisin levels did not significantly differ from baseline in either group. At T2, the WB-EMS group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in irisin levels compared to both T0 and T1 (p < 0.01), as well as to the PA group (p < 0.01). In contrast, the PA group showed only a slight, non-significant rise at T2. These findings suggest that WB-EMS induces a more robust irisin response than traditional aerobic exercise. Conclusions: WB-EMS appears to enhance irisin release in healthy individuals following acute exercise. These results support further research into WB-EMS as a novel strategy to modulate myokine production with potential therapeutic relevance in musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Keywords: electromyostimulation; exercise; exerkine; irisin; joints; myokines; osteoarthritis.

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the study design. Abbreviations: PA = physical activity, WB-EMS = whole-body electromyostimulation. Created with BioRender.com.

Figure 2

Serum irisin levels (normalized to baseline, T0 = 1) measured at two time points (T1 and T2) following two interventions: whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) and physical activity (PA). At T2 (1 h post-intervention), the WB-EMS group exhibited a significantly greater increase in irisin concentration compared to both its baseline and the PA group. Within the WB-EMS group, data from one subject at T1 and two subjects at T2 were excluded due to fast-breaking, resulting in an n = 11 and n = 10 at T1 and T2, respectively. Statistical significance: * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01.