Whole-body electromyostimulation and protein supplementation favorably affect sarcopenic obesity in community-dwelling older men at risk: the randomized controlled FranSO study

The FranSO study evaluated the effectiveness of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) combined with high-protein supplementation in men over 70 with sarcopenic obesity. In total, 100 older men were randomly allocated to three groups: - WB-EMS + protein - protein only - a control group with no intervention. The WB-EMS programme ran 1.5 times per week for 20 minutes, at a frequency of 85 Hz, a pulse width of 350 μs and alternating 4 seconds stimulation / 4 seconds rest. At the same time, a daily protein intake of 1.7-1.8 g/kg body weight was ensured. After 16 weeks, the WB-EMS group with protein supplementation showed the most pronounced improvement in sarcopenia parameters. There was an increase in muscle mass, a decrease in body fat percentage and an improvement in handgrip strength. Protein supplementation alone had a positive effect, but the combination with WB-EMS was significantly more effective. No serious adverse effects were recorded.

- The combination of WB-EMS and protein significantly improved the overall sarcopenia score compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Protein alone also had a positive effect (p = 0.007), but it was less pronounced. Body fat: WB-EMS + protein: - −2.05% body fat - Protein: −1.13% - Control: +0.30% The differences were statistically significant. Muscle mass Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI): - increased significantly with WB-EMS (p < 0.001) - increased slightly with protein (p = 0.047) - in the control group it in fact decreased. Handgrip strength: - +1.9 kg in the WB-EMS group - the greatest improvement of all groups.

The study confirms that the combination of WB-EMS and sufficient protein intake represents an effective and safe way of treating sarcopenic obesity in older people. It simultaneously delivers: - an increase in muscle mass, - a reduction in body fat, - an improvement in muscle strength, - high safety even in older people. Thanks to the short duration of individual sessions, the method is particularly suitable for people who are unable to complete conventional strength training or who have orthopaedic limitations.