Table 1.
Effects of MCT on exercise adaptation in humans
| Study | Description of study | Design | Microcurrent parameters | Placement of electrodes | Population | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Stosslein and Kuypers 2022) | Controlled study (two-way crossover study, n = 20) | Acute trial: 30 min MCT post-exercise (resistance training) | 200 μA with frequency of 0.3–3.5 Hz frequency-specific microcurrent | 4 anatomical points: upper buttock, lower buttock, lower back, upper neck | 18–40 year-old males with resistance training experience | ↑ self-ratings of well-rested, sociable. ↓ Feeling of exercise-induced exhaustion |
| (Vilarinho et al. 2022) | Controlled study (MCT: n = 18; Sham: n = 20) | Acute trial: 40 min MCT pre-exercise followed by 50 min moderate aerobic exercise on a cyclo-ergometer | 1000 μA with frequency of 25 Hz during the first 20 min followed by 10 Hz during the last 20 min | Abdominal region | Mean age of 20.6 ± 1.8 years men and women (university students) | No difference in lipolysis |
| (Naclerio et al. 2021) | Controlled study (MCT: n = 9; Sham: n = 9) | Long-term trial: 3 h/day MCT + endurance training × 8 weeks | 50–400 μA with frequency of ∼1000 Hz | Dominant leg | 18–45-year-old male cross-country athletes | Positive changes in body composition:↓ leg fat with a trend towards ↓whole-body fat → body mass ↓DOMS |
| (Piras et al. 2021) | Controlled study (n = 10) | Acute trial: 20 min MCT pre-exercise and 20 min post-exercise | 400 µA with frequency of 256 Hz rectangular waveform (1 s of impulse duration) | Right leg (quadriceps) using transducer gloves to massage the quadriceps | 27.2 ± 3.6-year-old recreationally active healthy men and women | Faster recovery after cycling exercise |
| (Naclerio et al. 2019) | Controlled study (MCT: n = 9; Sham: n = 9) | Long-term trial: 3 h/day MCT + resistance training × 8 weeks | 50–400 μA with frequency of ∼1000 Hz | Dominant leg | 18–45-year-old Trained men | Maximised muscular architectural changes ↓ DOMS |
| (Kwon et al. 2017) | Controlled study (MCT: n = 19; Sham: n = 19) | Acute trial: 40 min MCT with muscle function tests before and after | 25 μA with frequency of 8 Hz alternating current with monophasic rectangular pulse format | 8 anatomical points of the dominant arm and leg | 65 years of age and above elderly men and women | Enhanced some muscle function: ↑ handgrip strength |
| (Noites et al. 2017) | Controlled study (MCT: n = 42; Sham: n = 41) | Acute trial: 40 min MCT + 60 min aerobic session with moderate-intensity | 700–999 μA with a frequency of 25 Hz for the first 20 min, and 10 Hz for the last 20 min bipolar square-wave, alternated with electrical current using transcutaneous band electrodes | Lower abdominal region | 18–30-year-old men and women (university students) | Induces lipolysis |
| (Noites et al. 2015) | Controlled study (MCT-1: n = 9; MCT-2: n = 9; MCT-3: n = 7; MCT-4: n = 8; Sham: n = 9) | Long-term trial: 30 min MCT + 30 min aerobic moderate-intensity exercise (twice a week for 5 weeks, total of 10 sessions) | 1–999 μA with frequency of 25–10 Hz and 25–50 Hz (monophasic and rectangular microcurrent with polarity changes every second) | Abdominal region | 18–30-year-old women (university students) | Induces lipolysis and provides effects additive to aerobic exercise on fat tissue decrease |
| (Curtis et al. 2010) | Controlled study n = 35 (MCT on 1 leg; Sham on the other) | Acute trial: 20 min MCT (frequency-specific microcurrent) after eccentric muscle contractions on a seated leg machine | 200 μA with different frequencies on channel A and B | Leg | 20–40 year-old healthy and recreationally active men and women | ↓ DOMS |
| (Lambert et al. 2002) | Controlled study (MCT: n = 15; Sham: n = 15) | Acute trial: 96 h MCT (electro-membrane microcurrent therapy) after eccentric contractions of the nondominant elbow flexor muscles | 20 μA | Exercised upper-arm | 29.5 years mean age healthy men | ↓ DOMS |
| (Allen et al. 1999) | Controlled study (MCT: n = 9; Sham: n = 9) | Acute trial: 20 min MCT 24, 48, and 72 h after eccentric contractions of the nondominant arm (total of 60 min MCT) | 200 μA with frequency of 30 Hz for 10 min, followed by 100 μA with frequency of 0.3 Hz for 10 min | Exercised upper-arm | 20.3 years mean age healthy men (n = 3) and women (n = 15) | No beneficial effect for DOMS |
↑ increased,→ maintained, ↓ decreased