Low Frequency or Medium Frequency? The best choice for your EMS training
Low Frequency Waveform Modulate Medium Frequency Pulse (LFWmMFP) is a patented technology of BalanX. It is a revolutionary technology for Whole-Body Electrical Muscle Stimulation field.
The ‘FREQUENCY’ of Whole Body EMS
Electrical muscle stimulation usually has two frequency bands:
Low frequency: 1~1,000Hz, typically used for muscle contraction below 100Hz. Study shows, the stimulation frequency over 60Hz is fast enough to cause muscular contraction[1].
Medium frequency: 1,000~10,000Hz, when the current frequency applied increases, the skin impedance decreases[2]. Above 1,000 Hz skin impedance is low, less energy is dissipated to the surface of epidermis and a larger proportion of energy is intended to stimulate deeper tissues[3].
We can just feel low frequency pulse
It is because the ion channels of the nervous system need time to recover, people can just feel the pulse below 100 Hz.
When the cell membrane reaches a depolarized potential, these channels open. The intracellular protein “plug” enters into the ion channel. This plug is tethered to the intracellular side of the protein, and prevents any further ion flux. After the cell returns to the resting potential, the inactivation mechanism reverses itself, and the channel is ready to be activated again by the presence of an agonist.
It needs nearly 10ms to finish this period, so the channels can open fastest around 100 times per second.
The right image shows the form of the action potential in the axon. Depolarization turns the amplitude of the intramembrane positive, resulting in repolarization. There is a period of time that can never be depolarized again, this period is called hyperpolarization.
Two technical groups for Whole Body EMS products
There are two technology groups for Whole-Body EMS.
The low-frequency group and the mid-frequency group.
The table below are their pros and cons:
How BalanX sovle this problem
In order to combine the advantages of low-frequency EMS and medium frequency EMS. BalanX creatively uses hardware to create the world's first Low-Frequency Waveforms modulate Medium Frequency Pulse technique for EMS.
As shown on the right, we start with a 1kHz bipolar pulse and then modulate the amplitude of the pulse to form a sine wave with a frequency of 100Hz.
So different frequencies can be fit for various training and keep the penetration to the deeper muscle.
Not just sine waves, we also have five waveforms to choose from. Sine and exponential waves mostly resemble action potentials (like a Gaussian function). If you have the same intensity setting, the other three waveforms will feel more intense.
So you can choose your favorite waveform for different training.
The Four Dimensions of BalanX EMS
So BalanX EMS has four dimensions to set.
1. Medium frequency pulse. 1kHz~10kHz, the unit is microsecond.
2. Low frequency waveform. 5Hz~120Hz, in milliseconds.
3. Impulse. Second, we will introduce this technique in a future article.
4. 10 channels of different muscle groups, different intensity settings, activated at the same time
We have devoted a lot of effort to let you experience the unique training experience brought by BalanX. It's effortless, it produces more outcomes, and you can do any workout anywhere, anytime.
LET US BALANX TOGETHER!!!
[1] Robinson AJ, Snder-Mackler L. Clinical electrophysiology: electrotherapy and electrophysiologic testing. 2 ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins Press; 1995.
[2] Ward AR, Robertson VJ, Makowski RJ. Optimal frequencies for electric stimulation using medium-frequency alternating current. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002;83(7):1024–1027.
[3] Pinfildi CE, Andraus RAC, Iida LM, Prado RP. NEUROMUSCULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF MEDIUM AND LOW FREQUENCY ON THE QUADRICEPS FEMORIS. Acta Ortop Bras. 2018;26(5):346-349.
