New 2025 Study: Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) as a Promising Training Method for Cancer Patients

Perspectives

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A recently published study by the University Hospital of Cologne provides new insights into innovative training methods for cancer patients. The study shows that just two weeks of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) can significantly improve muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness – an important advance in oncological rehabilitation.

The study was published in January 2025 in the renowned journal Integrative Cancer Therapies and offers new perspectives for cancer patients who are weakened by therapies and cannot perform conventional strength or endurance training.

WB-EMS: Effective training without physical exertion

As a result of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or other treatments, many cancer patients suffer from muscle weakness, fatigue and limited physical resilience. Classic training methods are not practical for many of them. This is where WB-EMS comes in: electrical impulses are used to activate specific muscles without the need for strenuous movement.

The study was conducted using the EMS system from the renowned manufacturer miha bodytec (Augsburg, Germany). These devices are used worldwide for professional electromyostimulation training and enable effective muscle training that is also easy on the joints.

Study highlights

The current study, which was published in January 2025, is one of the first to test WB-EMS as a short-term intervention for cancer patients. During the study period, 13 participants with various cancer diagnoses and stages of disease completed four WB-EMS training sessions within two weeks.

Key results at a glance:

100% of the patients successfully completed the training – without dropouts or side effects.
Significant improvement in muscle strength and cardiovascular performance.
Improved body perception: less pain, more stability and increased well-being after each session.
Reduction in extracellular water, but no increase in muscle mass.

‘Our study shows that WB-EMS is not only safe and feasible, but also achieves measurable effects on physical performance within a short period of time,’ explains Jane Kersten, first author of the study from the University Hospital of Cologne. ’Future studies will now investigate how these effects play out over longer periods of time.’

Why is this study so relevant?

Red-hot research (2025): The study provides new scientific insights into a method that has so far been little studied for cancer patients.
Alternative for weakened patients: WB-EMS offers a new approach for people who would be overwhelmed by conventional training.
Potential for cancer prevention: Short, effective measures could be used as standard before cancer surgery in the future.

Conclusion: Could WB-EMS be the new hope for cancer patients?

With this highly topical study, WB-EMS could play an important role in oncological rehabilitation in the future. This training could be a gentle and effective alternative, especially for patients suffering from fatigue or restricted mobility. The researchers are now calling for further studies with larger numbers of participants to investigate the long-term potential of this method.

References:

The complete study is available under the following DOI: 10.1177/15347354241304415