Does Using a TENS Unit for Weight Loss Help?

People have been asking whether or not you can use a TENS unit for weight loss. The main reason is that there have been studies that have suggested that you can effectively use electrical muscle stimulation therapy (EMS) for reducing fat. EMS has, after all, been making a difference in people’s wellbeing and fitness for several years. 

The problem is that there is a difference between using EMS and a TENS unit for weight loss. On the side of EMS, it can be used for neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or electro-myostimulation. This can be used to tone and tighten several muscle groups simply by placing electrodes to the skin. Furthermore, athletes and healthy adults can use the device as a training tool to help enhance strength and intensity as well as to rehabilitate the body.

However, this should not be mistaken for using a TENS unit for weight loss. EMS units and TENS devices are not the same thing. They are often confused with each other but they are not at all the same as each other. They both use electrodes and electrical current and can both be used for easing electrical currents and boosting circulation and blood flow. 

A TENS unit has a low penetration power, focusing its electrical stimulation on only one muscle at a time, such as in the case of its use to reduce labor pains. This machine functions by reducing or blocking the nerve signals to that specific area and enhancing the release of the body’s natural pain relief systems, providing immediate pain reduction. 

As a result, these units aren’t recommended for use for purposes like toning and weight loss as is the case with EMS units. EMS devices are far more powerful and function by accessing several muscles at once. The electrical stimulation penetrates more deeply into the muscles, contracting and relaxing the muscles. This enhances their movement during exercise and can help to ease soreness and tightness afterward. In this way, the actual source of the pain is targeted.

Therefore, as much as it would be convenient if a TENS unit could be used for the purposes of losing weight or speeding it up, this is not how the device is used. The EMS is not the same as the TENS and they can’t be used for the same purposes. That said, there is such thing as a combination TENS and EMS unit and those can be used for both purposes.

If you're investigating this method for weight loss because you lack the energy for workouts, we recommend using an energy boosting fitness supplement. This will give you plenty of energy to be more active and burn more calories in the process, leading to a healthier weight when combined with a reduced calorie diet. Our top choice is TRIMTHIN X700, a USA manufactured fitness supplement formulated with science-backed research.