Comparison of the Effect of Resistance Training and Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Cardiac Morphological and Functional Indicators, and Body Composition in Sedentary Females

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Introduction: This study aimed to compare the effect of a period of progressive resistance training and electrical muscle stimulation on morphological indicators, heart function, and body composition of inactive Females. Method: The current semi-experimental research was performed on 30 healthy female volunteers within an age range of 30-40 years who were selected by random sampling and randomly divided into three groups, namely resistance training (n=10), electrical stimulation (n=10), and control (n=10). The training protocol consisted of 8 weeks of training and 3 sessions per week. Resistance training was performed incrementally with an intensity of 65-80% with maximum repetition. Moreover, electrical stimulation was conducted with a frequency of 30-80Hz in the first to eighth week. Statistical analysis was performed using a covariance test with Bonferroni's post hoc test at a significance level of 0.05 in SPSS software (version 22). Results: Results of the present study showed that weight (P=0.041), body mass index (P=0.002), and fat mass (P<0.001) were significantly different among the three research groups. However, there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of muscle mass (P=0.425). Results of the intergroup analysis showed that body weight (P=0.032), fat percentage (P=0.001), and body mass index (P=0.001) were lower in resistance training groups, compared to the control group. Weight (P=0.021), fat percentage (P=0.001), and body mass index (P=0.003) in the electrical muscle stimulation training group were significantly lower than those in the control group. In addition, the obtained results showed no significant difference among resistance training, electrical muscle stimulation, and control groups in terms of heart function, heart structure, and electrocardiogram (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results obtained from the present study showed that performing resistance training and electrical muscle stimulation improves anthropometric indicators.