<p>This article presents a brief overview of own and international experimental data on a key, yet underrepresented, parameter of pulsed electric current, known as the duty cycle. Its numerical values can vary from a few units to tens of thousands, which corresponds to direct current modes or single pulses. A review of studies over the past decade demonstrates how this parameter regulates the ratio of the thermal and athermal contributions of pulsed current to the electroplastic effect during static tension of conductive materials with low (Ti and Mg alloys) and high (copper and aluminum alloys) specific electrical resistance. It is shown that varying the duty cycle can alter the nature of stress–strain curves from smooth to those accompanied by stress jumps; from hardening to softening; and, accordingly, contribute to a decrease or increase in specimen temperature. The structural and phase state of alloys (the presence of aging particles or secondary phases, grain size) can also enhance or weaken the duty cycle effect. It has been shown that the threshold value of duty cycle depends on the material's electrical resistivity and current density. The presented data can be useful for analyzing EPE mechanisms and applying innovative metal forming processes.</p>