| Summary: | Background: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is increasingly being usedoutside the realms of physical therapy. Acknowledged as an efficient method to enhancestrength parameters, athletes are increasingly using NMES to facilitate training andstrength gains. A review was designed with a systematic approach with the mainobjective: to assess the effectiveness of transcutaneous NMES on maximal strength inphysical education students, trained and elite athletes in studies involving isometricNMES and Dynamic NMES. Method: A search for all types of trials was performed onPubmed, Sportdiscus, Web of Science Core Collection and The Cochrane ControlledTrials Register, and results were recorded according to the PRISMA recommendations.Twenty-one studies were included and judged for risk of bias and quality according tothe Cochrane guidelines and GRADE. Results: Studies were judged as having either anunclear or high risk of bias. All studies were judged as ‘very low level’ according toGRADE and were lacking bias-limiting methods, detailed information of interventionsand general standardised procedures. Conclusion: Strength gains in physical educationstudents, trained or elite athletes from a training intervention involving either isometricNMES combined with or without voluntary exercise or dynamic NMES are inconclusivedue to the very low level of the quality of the studies. Meta-analysis performed in thisarea should be interpreted with caution as the studies have been judged as eitherunclear or high risk of bias.Key words: isometric NMES (electrical stimulation applied to relaxed muscle), dynamicNMES (electrical stimulation superimposed onto voluntary contractions), strength.
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