Modulated Mid-frequency Whole-body Electromyostimulation and Nutritional Therapy in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of modulated mid-frequency whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) combined with nutritional therapy in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

This study aims to combine the applicability and effectiveness of a form of strength training with targeted nutritional training. For this purpose, training with electromyostimulation (application of modulated mid-frequency; WB-EMS) is carried out, which pursues the effect of cell activation and the improvement of muscle strength. The primary aim of the multimodal intervention presented here is to increase muscle mass and improve energy utilisation and metabolism. Patients should experience increased mobility and independence as a result of this intervention. In the study, patients are randomly assigned to one of two groups, with one group receiving an application of electricity and the other group performing standardised exercise therapy without electricity. Otherwise, the groups do not differ in the applications or tests. In addition, nutritional coaching takes place in both groups with digital nutritional coaching. Patients with a malignant tumour of the oesophagus, stomach, duodenum or colon or rectum with medical therapy administered before or after surgery (neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy) and after surgery without further therapy can participate in the study. The aim is to compare the use of electromyostimulation in this multimodal approach regarding its effectiveness in terms of muscle growth compared to the conventional multimodal approach. The research hypothesis is that the additional training stimulus provided by the application of electricity leads to significantly higher muscle growth than conventional training without electricity.