Test/Video: Electrostimulation is becoming increasingly popular these days. With the Compex SP 8.0, our editors Lennard Heidenreich and Florian Nowak used a device that can not only be used for more effective training but also ensures better regeneration. In a video, Lennard shows you what training with the Compex for cyclists can look like.
Electrotherapy is a proven medical treatment method that is used in physical pain management and rehabilitation as well as in the training of athletes. How electrostimulation works is very simple. Processes that take place during muscle contraction (tightening of a muscle) controlled by the brain are imitated by the controlling device. Motor nerve and muscle recognize no difference between a voluntary, brain-induced contraction and an electrically-induced contraction. The work produced is identical and all natural. Electrostimulation is therefore not a miracle cure, but respects the functioning of our body. The process of an intentional (voluntary) muscle contraction: If you want to tense a muscle, the brain transmits this information in the form of an electrical signal, which propagates at high speed through nerve fibers, to the muscle, which then contracts. In electrostimulation, the excitation occurs directly on the motor nerve through specially controlled electrical impulses (stimulation current), guaranteeing efficiency, safety and comfort of use.
Strength program with the Compex SP 8.0
In our case, the Compex SP 8.0 takes over this function and transmits the electrical impulses to the muscles via a wireless signal, which in turn causes them to contract. As Lennard shows us in the video, he uses the device for a special strength program on the roller. After a short warm-up, the electrodes can be attached to the desired muscle area, in our case on the thigh. When selecting the desired program, there is also a diagram that shows the athlete where to place the electrodes. A hundred percent precise alignment is not important here, since the Compex SP 8.0 can control the impulse accordingly. As soon as the program has been started and you start pedalling, the Compex searches for the optimal intensity. After a short start phase of a few minutes as preparation, the actual strength program begins, in which the Compex SP 8.0 increases the electrical intensity and thus provides a muscular stimulus that is repeated several times. Lennard also shows us how you can use the Compex SP 8.0 for strength training without a bike, for example for squats, to make your training more effective.
Regeneration with the Compex SP 8.0
The Compex SP 8.0 is a helpful companion not only directly during training, but also after exercise. With a wide range of recovery programs to speed up regeneration after intense exertion or a competition, it quickly became an integral part of the (professional) everyday life of our editor Florian Nowak.
I've actually been using the Compex SP 8.0 every day since the beginning of the year. After normal training sessions, I can regenerate even better on the sofa in the evening and train harder the next day. The same applies to the evening after competitions, since we have to be fully fit again for a tour the next day. For this I use the special competition recovery program, which is stored in the Compex SP 8.0. In principle, a regeneration program with the Compex works just like the training described in the video, except that the stimulation has a different effect on the muscles and is not as strenuous. Stick on the electrodes, select the program and relax. In the meantime, the Compex SP 8.0 does the work. The recovery programs combine three physiological processes in the muscle. The contraction of the muscles leads to increased blood flow, which primarily contributes to the breakdown of lactate. In addition, the application leads to the release of endorphins and a release of muscle tension. These processes ensure faster regeneration of the muscles. I have also discovered for myself that the capillarisation program, a program to improve blood circulation, helps me to feel better the next day, especially after long car journeys and travel days. From time to time I use it while I'm sitting in the car on the way there.
Website: compex.de | electromuscularstimulation.de