Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation in Overweight/Obese Postmenopausal Women

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of a 16-week whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) program on body composition, cardiometabolic health, functional capacity, quality of life, and satisfaction with life in overweight/obese postmenopausal women. The study will examine whether adding WB-EMS to a supervised exercise program results in greater improvements in these outcomes compared with the same exercise program performed without electrical stimulation. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the WB-EMS group or the control group. Both groups will participate in a 16-week supervised exercise program consisting of two sessions per week, with at least 48 hours between consecutive sessions. Participants in the WB-EMS group will perform supervised exercise sessions with whole-body electrical stimulation. WB-EMS will be delivered using bipolar electrical impulses at a frequency of 85 Hz and a pulse width of 350 μs, with an intermittent stimulation pattern of 4 seconds of stimulation followed by 4 seconds of rest. The exercise program will include dynamic resistance and functional exercises involving major muscle groups, including squats, lunges, upper-body pushing and pulling movements, and trunk exercises. The control group will perform the same supervised exercise program without electrical stimulation. Exercise type, session duration, weekly frequency, intervention duration, supervision, and progression will be matched between groups to isolate the additional effects of WB-EMS.