Neuromuscular electrostimulation and insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes: the ELECTRODIAB pilot study.

AIM: Physical activity (PA) improves insulin sensitivity and is particularly important for type 2 diabetes (T2D) management; however, patient adherence is poor. Neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) is widely used for rehabilitation issues, but the metabolic impact of provoked involuntary muscular contractions has never been investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: ELECTRODIAB is a prospective, bi-centric, and 4-week-long pilot study that enrolled 18 patients with T2D who did not require insulin treatment. Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp before and after (1) a single NMES session and (2) a week of daily NMES training. Energy expenditure (EE) at baseline and during NMES was evaluated by indirect calorimetry. Dietary and background PA were monitored to avoid bias.

RESULTS: After a single session (T1) or a week (T2) of NMES training, insulin sensitivity (M value) increased by 9.3 ± 38.2 % (ns) and 24.9 ± 35.8 % (p = 0.009), respectively, compared with the baseline (T0). Insulin sensitivity increased up to 46.2 ± 33.8 % (p = 0.002) at T2 in the more insulin-resistant subjects (baseline M value ≤4 mg/Kg/min, n = 10). The NMES session-generated EE was 1.42 ± 9.27 kcal/h, which was not significantly increased from the baseline.

CONCLUSIONS: Insulin sensitivity was significantly improved in patients with T2D after 1 week of daily NMES training, with very low EE. NMES could be an alternative to conventional PA, but the putative mechanisms of action must still be investigated.