Abstract
Whole-body vibration training on vibrating platforms is widely used for physical exercise, health promotion and physical rehabilitation. The position on the platform is one of the factors responsible for the transmission of vibrations to the body segments of individuals. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the characteristics of vibrations transmitted to the body segments of adults between two body positions and different vibration intensities. Twenty intentionally selected subjects (10 men and 10 women), with a mean age of 27.8 ± 2.9 years, participated in the study. The data were acquired with a triaxial accelerometer attached to the subject's body using a vibrating platform at frequencies of 20, 35, 50, and 70 Hz and displacement amplitudes of 2.0 and 6.0 mm in the extended and flexed positions. Descriptive and inferential statistics was applied (p ≤ 0.05). Significant differences in the vibration magnitude and transmissibility were observed between body positions at all intensities analyzed, with greater attenuation of vibrations in the flexed position, especially during passage of the vibratory stimulus through the lower limbs. It was concluded that the body position adopted by the subjects on the vibrating platform directly affects the transmission of vibration. The flexed position was found to be the most suitable for the application of this training method by ensuring better body stability on the platform and promoting more effective attenuation of vibrations, thus preventing the occurrence of unintended acceleration in the head.
Highlights
Exposure of the human body to mechanical vibrations has been studied for many years
With respect to vibration transmissibility through body segments, interpretation of the transfer function applied to the data indicates lower transmissibility in flexed position (FP) at times T1 and T2, suggesting more effective attenuation of the vibratory stimuli in this position, minimizing the magnitude of accelerations that are transmitted to the following body segment
One can infer that the body proprioception of the individual is greater in FP, with a more efficient activation of the muscles necessary to attenuate acceleration, in contrast to extended position (EP) in which acceleration is not sufficiently attenuated[20,21,22,23,24]. These findings demonstrate that the body position adopted by the subjects on the vibrating platform directly interferes with the transmission of vibration through body segments, preventing more marked accelerations in the trunk and head and reducing the chances of occurrence of resonance peaks both in internal organs of the trunk, where they occur in the range of 3 to 6 Hz, and in the head, where they occur at 30 Hz27
Summary
Exposure of the human body to mechanical vibrations has been studied for many years. First, these studies investigated the relationship between vibration and the development of occupational disorders[1,2]. Despite the long tradition of studies on its deleterious effects, reports have demonstrated that vibration can be beneficial to the human body[3]. Since vibration has been seen as harmful to the body for many years[1,2], it is necessary to focus on the forms of application of this training method In this respect, studies have indicated the efficiency of WBV training for different purposes[6,7,8,9], little is known about the safety of this method[3,10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
