Hospital patients with cancer often lose muscle mass quickly, which can affect their recovery and strength. Researchers tested whether a combination of gentle electrical stimulation to the leg muscles plus nutritional counseling could help prevent this muscle loss. In a small study of 25 cancer patients, those who received both the electrical stimulation and nutrition advice maintained or even gained thigh muscle thickness over one week, while those who only received nutrition advice lost muscle. This suggests that combining these two approaches may be a practical way to help hospitalized cancer patients preserve their muscle strength during treatment.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether using electrical stimulation on leg muscles combined with nutrition counseling could prevent muscle loss in hospitalized cancer patients
  • Who participated: 25 cancer patients staying in the hospital who were randomly assigned to either receive electrical stimulation plus nutrition advice or nutrition advice alone
  • Key finding: After one week, patients receiving electrical stimulation plus nutrition advice gained muscle thickness in their thighs, while those receiving only nutrition advice lost muscle thickness
  • What it means for you: If you’re a hospitalized cancer patient, combining electrical muscle stimulation with good nutrition may help you keep your leg strength during treatment. However, this was a small, short-term study, so talk with your medical team before trying this approach.

The Research Details

Researchers divided 25 hospitalized cancer patients into two groups. One group received electrical stimulation applied to both thighs twice per day for 7 days, plus nutrition counseling. The other group received only nutrition counseling. The electrical stimulation worked by sending gentle electrical pulses to the thigh muscles to make them contract without the patient having to exercise. Both groups had their thigh muscle thickness measured before and after the week using ultrasound imaging, and both groups tracked what they ate to monitor their nutrition.

The researchers also measured the amount of water inside the muscle cells because regular ultrasound can sometimes confuse water in muscles with actual muscle protein. By measuring both muscle thickness and water content, they could better understand what was actually happening to the muscle tissue.

Cancer patients in hospitals often lose muscle very quickly because of their illness and treatment, which can make recovery harder. Finding simple, safe ways to prevent this muscle loss is important. This study used electrical stimulation because it can activate muscles without requiring patients to exercise, which may be difficult for very sick patients. Understanding whether this approach works helps doctors develop better strategies to keep patients strong during cancer treatment.

This was a small pilot study with only 25 patients, which means the results are promising but need to be confirmed with larger studies. The study was well-designed with random assignment to groups and careful measurement of muscle using ultrasound. Both groups had similar dropout rates, suggesting the electrical stimulation was tolerable. However, the study only lasted one week, so we don’t know if the benefits continue longer. The researchers also carefully measured nutrition to make sure diet differences didn’t explain the results.

What the Results Show

The main finding was striking: patients who received electrical stimulation plus nutrition counseling gained an average of 2.09 millimeters of thigh muscle thickness over the week, while patients receiving only nutrition counseling lost an average of 2.53 millimeters. This difference was statistically significant, meaning it’s unlikely to have happened by chance.

The researchers also looked at the ratio of actual muscle protein to water in the muscles. The electrical stimulation group showed an improvement in this ratio, suggesting the electrical stimulation was helping build actual muscle tissue rather than just adding water. The nutrition-only group showed a decline in this ratio.

Both groups reduced their carbohydrate intake and increased their protein intake (specifically leucine, an important amino acid for muscles) during the study, which shows that nutrition counseling worked in both groups. However, only the group that also received electrical stimulation was able to maintain or gain muscle.

Both groups tolerated their treatments well, with similar numbers of people dropping out. This is important because it shows that electrical stimulation didn’t cause people to quit the study, meaning it was safe and acceptable to patients. The fact that both groups improved their nutrition intake suggests the counseling was effective in both cases, but nutrition alone wasn’t enough to prevent muscle loss in hospitalized cancer patients.

Previous research has shown that cancer patients lose muscle rapidly during hospitalization, and this muscle loss is associated with worse outcomes. Some studies have suggested that electrical stimulation can activate muscles in people who cannot exercise, but this is one of the first studies to test it specifically in hospitalized cancer patients combined with nutrition support. The results align with what we know about how muscles respond to stimulation, but the combination approach appears novel and promising.

This was a small study with only 25 patients, so results may not apply to all cancer patients. The study only lasted one week, so we don’t know if benefits continue or how long they last. The study included patients with different types of cancer, so results might differ for specific cancer types. The researchers couldn’t measure actual muscle protein directly—they used ultrasound thickness as a proxy, which has limitations. Finally, this was a pilot study, meaning it’s designed to test whether an idea is worth studying more thoroughly, not to provide definitive answers.

The Bottom Line

Based on this preliminary evidence, electrical stimulation combined with nutrition counseling may help hospitalized cancer patients preserve leg muscle during treatment. However, this finding is based on a small, short-term study. If you’re a hospitalized cancer patient, discuss this approach with your medical team before trying it. The evidence is promising but not yet strong enough to recommend as standard care without further research.

This research is most relevant to hospitalized cancer patients concerned about muscle loss, their doctors and nurses, and cancer treatment centers. It may be particularly relevant for patients undergoing intensive treatments that limit their ability to exercise. People with other conditions causing muscle loss might also benefit, but this study specifically tested cancer patients. This approach is not appropriate for people who cannot tolerate electrical stimulation, such as those with certain heart conditions or pacemakers.

This study showed changes in just one week, which is remarkably fast. However, it’s unclear whether benefits continue beyond one week or how long the effects last. Most users would likely need to continue the electrical stimulation regularly to maintain benefits, similar to how exercise requires ongoing effort. Realistic expectations would be to see measurable changes within 1-2 weeks if the approach works for you, but longer-term studies are needed.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track thigh muscle measurements weekly using a soft measuring tape at the same location on both thighs (mid-thigh, about halfway between hip and knee). Record measurements in millimeters and note the date. Also track daily protein intake in grams, aiming for adequate protein as recommended by your nutritionist.
  • If using electrical stimulation, set reminders for twice-daily sessions with a 3-hour gap between them (for example, 8 AM and 11 AM). Log each session completion in the app. Simultaneously, use the app to track meals and ensure adequate protein intake, particularly leucine-rich foods like eggs, dairy, and legumes.
  • Create a weekly dashboard showing thigh circumference trends, protein intake consistency, and electrical stimulation session completion. Compare measurements week-to-week to identify whether muscle is being maintained or lost. Share this data with your healthcare team during appointments to adjust the approach if needed.

This research is preliminary and based on a small, short-term study. The findings suggest electrical stimulation combined with nutrition counseling may help preserve muscle in hospitalized cancer patients, but larger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm these results. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Before starting electrical stimulation or making significant changes to your nutrition during cancer treatment, consult with your oncologist, nutritionist, or other healthcare provider. Electrical stimulation may not be appropriate for people with certain medical conditions, including those with pacemakers or certain heart conditions. Individual results may vary, and what works for one person may not work for another.