Ab stimulators reviewed: Do they really work?

Proponents of ab stimulators claim they can help improve abdominal muscle tone as they force the muscles to repetitively contract. However, they will not burn fat or cause significant weight loss.

Electrical stimulation refers to when a device applies small electrical charges to a muscle. This can be a treatment option for people living with certain conditions that impair their muscles.

However, fitness websites and social media serve up a steady helping of advertisements for ab stimulators. This refers to a wearable device that promises to strengthen the abdominal muscles via electrical stimulation. However, these devices are not the same as those that physical therapists use.

At present, there is very little research assessing how well ab stimulators work for toning muscles. Instead, most research suggests that these devices are ineffective for toning and strengthening the abdominal muscles.

Electrical muscle stimulation, also known as E-stim, describes the use of electrical impulses to help stimulate rhythmic muscle contractions.

Doctors and physical therapists have used electrical devices to treat injured or paralyzed muscles for decades. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) uses an electrical pulse to force muscles to contract. By doing this, it prevents muscle wasting and encourages blood flow to the muscles. It may also help repair damage. This can help with certain conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

More recently, ab stimulator manufacturers have begun selling these devices to the general public. Some companies claim that their devices support weight loss or build strong ab muscles without requiring exercise. However, there is no evidence that a muscle stimulator can substantially change a person’s body.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulate these devices as medical devices, but some manufacturers — especially outside the United States — now sell unregulated devices.

FES works well as a physical therapy tool for people with serious muscle injuries.

For example, a 2022 review notes that FES is effective for older adults after they experience a stroke. Evidence indicates that this treatment can help to improve physical performance and muscle strength, and help prevent the potential loss of muscle mass and strength.

Similarly, a 2020 article adds that FES is effective for individuals with paralysis resulting from stroke or spinal cord injury. Additionally, health experts may suggest FES as a therapy option for conditions such as MS.

However, there is less evidence that abdominal stimulators can train the abs in people seeking increased muscle strength, better posture, or a slimmer waistline. The limited research that has looked at these devices has reported very small changes that were insufficient to change a person’s appearance significantly.

For example, a 2019 study involving trained athletes found that 12 weeks of FES did not increase the size of the abdominal muscles.

Although the evidence that ab stimulators work well for toning the muscles is weak, FDA-regulated stimulators are safe to try.

Ab stimulators cannot burn fat. To burn fat, a person must create a calorie deficit, using more calories through exercise and movement than they eat each day. Even if can ab stimulators can help to slightly strengthen muscles, a person will not notice a difference in their appearance if they are not also burning fat.

Some of the most popular ab stimulators are available online, with reviewers promising rapid results and significant changes in body shape. However, many of these reviews are fake. People should be especially mindful of short reviews, reviews that make extreme claims, and reviewers who have not reviewed other products or leave five stars for every product.

Most ab stimulators are adhesive pieces of cloth that a person sticks to their abs. Each portion of the cloth delivers an electric current to the abdominal muscles, causing contractions that a person might not even feel.

Some stimulators are belts that require no adhesive and wrap around the body. These may stimulate only the abs, or they might also stimulate the back.

A few stimulators offer apps to track progress, and most allow a user to adjust the intensity of muscle contractions. The stimulator should not hurt, sting, or burn, and it should not cause muscle spasms.

Unregulated ab stimulators present the most significant risk. These devices may burn the skin, contain toxic chemicals or adhesives, or deliver a shock that is too intense to be safe.

Even FDA-regulated stimulators, however, present some dangers. These devices may interfere with other electrical devices, such as pacemakers. They may also cause a person to believe that they are getting exercise or doing something healthful, deterring them from more beneficial exercise and lifestyle changes.

People who wish to improve their posture or address muscle injuries should consider physical therapy. A physical therapist offers targeted exercises and massage. They may also recommend electrical stimulation to improve muscle health.

People seeking a more muscular core or a trimmer waistline should focus on two goals:

A person must use more calories than they eat to create a deficit. Increasing their activity level — with both intense exercise and more overall movement, such as by walking each day — can help a person gradually burn fat, including on the stomach.

These exercises will not burn fat, but they can improve posture and core strength while making the muscles more visible as a person loses body fat. Some of the most effective core exercises include:

Read on to learn more about exercises for building ab muscles.

No, there is currently no significant scientific evidence to suggest that electrical stimulation devices help with weight loss or abdominal definition.

However, functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a treatment option that can help individuals with paralyzed or weakened muscles due to damage in the brain or spinal cord.

Proponents of ab stimulators suggest they may take up to 3 months to work. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this and it is unlikely a person will notice a difference in the appearance of their abdominal muscles without changes to their dietary pattern and exercises.

Performing abdominal exercises, such as crunches, can help to strengthen and tone abdominal muscles. However, it is not possible for these exercises to specifically target and burn belly fat. Performing a variety of physical activities and following a suitable dietary plan are the best methods for managing weight.

Ab stimulators describe a device that proponents suggest can help a person to tone and define their abs and lose belly fat. However, no scientific evidence support these claims.

While ab stimulators are ineffective, electrical muscle stimulation can help improve physical performance and muscle strength in individuals living with certain conditions.

If a person is wishing to burn fat and tone their abdominal muscles, they can instead attempt to perform a variety of physical activities, including ab exercises, and change their dietary patterns.

Sources:

Badger J, et al. (2017). The safety of electrical stimulation in patients with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators: A systematic review. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055668317745498

Electronic muscle stimulators. (2017). https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/consumer-products/electronic-muscle-stimulators

Functional electrical stimulation. (n.d.). https://www.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis/rehabilitation/functional-electrical-stimulation

Functional electrical stimulation (FES). (2020). https://mstrust.org.uk/a-z/functional-electrical-stimulation-fes

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) and multiple sclerosis. (n.d.). https://www.nationalmssociety.org/for-professionals/for-healthcare-professionals/managing-and-treating-ms/rehabilitation-therapies/functional-electrical-stimulation

Hwang UJ, et al. (2020). Effect of abdominal electrical muscle stimulation training with and without superimposed voluntary muscular contraction on lumbopelvic control. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsr/29/8/article-p1137.xml

Kapadia N, et al. (2020). Functional electrical stimulation therapy for retraining reaching and grasping after spinal cord injury and stroke. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7364342/

Kovar E. (2023). 7 core stability exercises. https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/blog/6313/7-core-stability-exercises/

Shin HE, et al. (2022). Therapeutic effects of functional electrical stimulation on physical performance and muscle strength in post-stroke older adults: A review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8984173/

The best core exercises for older adults. (2021). https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-best-core-exercises-for-older-adults

Wakahara T, et al. (2019). Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation training on muscle size in collegiate track and field athletes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6853328/