Whole-body Vibration Protocols Research Articles

Combination of External Load and Whole Body Vibration Potentiates the GH-releasing Effect of Squatting in Healthy Females

In recent years, whole body vibration (WBV) has become an efficient complement or alternative to resistance training. Very limited data on the effects of different WBV protocols on anabolic hormones are available. In this study, we compared the growth hormone (GH), blood lactate (LA), and cortisol responses to different protocols involving WBV. Six healthy women recreationally active performed 10 sets of 12 dynamic squats in the following conditions: squatting alone (S), squatting+vibration (SV), squatting+external load (SE), and squatting+external load+vibration (SEV). All responses at the different stimuli determined acute increases in GH, cortisol, and LA. In particular, GH secretion significantly increased in all 4 conditions immediately after the exercise session compared to other time points. Furthermore, a significantly larger increase was identified following SEV as compared to the other conditions. Cortisol concentrations significantly decreased after S, SV and SE whereas they increased significantly following SEV. LA peaks occurred immediately at the end of each condition. However it reached statistical significance only following SEV. The results of our study demonstrate that the combination of squatting+external load+vibration (SEV) could represent the most suitable modality to potentiate the somatotropic function and, indirectly, to obtain an increase in muscle strength and positive changes in the body composition. Further studies are necessary in order to determine the chronic effects of this exercise modality on the hormonal profile.

Acute effects of whole‐body vibration at 3, 6, and 9 hz on balance and gait in patients with Parkinson's disease

Vibration as a stimulus to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients was first recommended by Charcot in 1892, and although this approach was subsequently abandoned, recently, whole-body vibration (WBV) protocols have been suggested as a modern substitute.– A small number of studies have assessed the effects of WBV on motor symptoms in PD, with apparently positive results, obtained in open-trial designs. In each case, however, only a fixed frequency of stimulation was used, and no placebo group was included. It is therefore of fundamental interest to examine a range of “doses” (in this case, frequencies) in order to optimize potential therapeutic effects. Using an appropriate placebo-controlled experimental design, we have explored the use of different vibration frequencies, some of which had already been reported to have an effect after 1 session. Forty-eight patients with PD diagnosed as idiopathic participated in this study. Possible participants were excluded if any other disease or impairment potentially affected the validity of the results, and selected PD were naive to WBV protocols. Patients were randomly allocated to each of 4 groups: placebo, vibration at 3 Hz, vibration at 6 Hz, and vibration at 9 Hz (n = 12 each). The protocol followed previous work reporting excellent results of single-session WBV by means of a vibrating platform comprising 5 vibration sets of 1’ each (interset rest period, 1’). The stepped platform (amplitude of 13 mm) thrusts the right and left legs upward alternately. During stimulation, patients stood on the platform with their feet separated at a stable and comfortable position and with the knees slightly flexed. In the placebo group, patients adopted the same posture without vibration. Instead, they were required to stay still, trying to minimize hip oscillation; this controlled for a placebo effect. Stimulation and evaluation were done during ON periods. The protocol conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki. The effect of vibration on gait and balance was evaluated by the timed-up-and-go (TUG) and functional reach (FR) tests. Patients were evaluated just before (PRE), after (POST), and 48 hours after (POST-2) stimulation. Examiners were blind to protocol and group assignment.

Whole Body Vibration vs. Gluteal Muscle Activation: What are the Acute Effects on Explosive Power?

Peak power production is an important component of many sports including Australian Football which is a contact sport involving an array of explosive movements including kicking, tackling, sprinting and jumping. Players in the Australian Football League (AFL) are full-time professional athletes. Exercises targeting the activation of the gluteal muscle group (GM) are commonly used in the rehabilitation of injuries involving the hips and pelvis, however they may also be used in healthy athlete populations as a warm-up protocol before exercise or sport. The effects of such a protocol on peak power production are currently unknown. Studies into the influence of whole body vibration (WBV) on performance and peak power production have produced inconsistent results and have been the focus of conjecture in recent published literature. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of WBV, an exercise protocol targeting GM activation and a control protocol on peak power production during countermovement vertical jumps (CMJ). METHODS: 22 AFL players performed three different pre-performance protocols on separate days in a randomized order. Players were then tested within 5 minutes for peak power production during CMJ. These protocols included WBV, GM activation exercise and a control protocol. The WBV protocol involved standing on the WBV platform for 45 seconds at 30 Hz. The GM activation protocol consisted of 7 exercises taking about 7 min to perform. The control protocol involved CMJ testing without any prior warm-up. CMJ peak power testing involved the player performing 5 jumps on a smith-machine while a linear transducer was used to measure peak power. Testing was conducted after football training sessions on non-consecutive days over a 10 day period. Players who were unable to perform all three pre-performance protocols were excluded from the study. An ANOVA with repeated measures was performed to determine any differences in peak power between the protocols. RESULTS: The GM activation protocol produced significantly higher peak power during CMJ testing than both the control (p = 0.03) and WBV protocols (p < 0.01) (Figure 1). There were no other significant differences between protocols, although the WBV protocol showed a trend for reduced peak power scores when compared to control (p = 0.08). Conclusion: GM activation exercises used as a pre-performance protocol generated greater peak power scores during CMJ testing than both a control and a WBV protocol in professional AFL players. The WBV protocol showed a trend for lower peak power scores than those recorded using the control protocol. Practical Application: Exercise targeted at activating the GM group should be considered as a pre-performance protocol in sports where peak power production is a key component. In contrast, the use of WBV as a pre-performance modality should be reconsidered as its use may have a deleterious effect on peak power production.

Efeito agudo da vibração sobre o desempenho do agachamento em alta velocidade e salto vertical

The objective of this study was to assess the acute effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) on power production of the lower limbs during squat exercise and on vertical jump height. The performance of 30 strength-trained subjects was assessed during high velocity squat exercise (HVS) and countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) before and after being submitted to four different vibration protocols in a counterbalanced random manner. The HVS and CMJ assessments were performed 3 min before and 6, 9 and 12 min after the WBV interventions, and 6 min before and 9 and 15 min after the interventions, respectively. The different WBV protocols did not change relative peak or average power production during HVS and CMJ. However, time exerted a main effect, with a decrease in CMJ height at 3 min (-2%) and 15 min (-3.1%) after treatment. These results suggest that the WBV protocols employed in this study do not induce acute improvement in performance. However, this finding does not rule out the application of WBV as a useful strategy for training or warm-up routines.

The Acute Effects Of Whole Body Vibration On Electromechanical Delay And Rate Of Force Development

Changes in muscular performance following whole-body vibration (WBV) have been attributed to adaptations in the neuromuscular system. However, due to a lack of standardization of WBV protocols and exposure time used in previous studies, the responsiveness of the muscular system to acute exposure to WBV remains unclear. PURPOSE: To examine the acute effect of WBV on two functional muscular variables [rate of force development (RFD) and electromechanical delay (EMD)]. METHODS: Forty young healthy individuals were randomly assigned to an experimental or control groups. The experimental group received acute WBV (3 bouts of 2 minute) while standing on a vibration platform. The control group adopted the same position (semi squat position) for equal time but received no vibration. During each of the testing sessions (before and after acute WBV), rate of force development and electromechanical delay were measured while subjects were isometrically plantar flexing their ankle on the plate of an isokinetic dynamometer. RESULTS: After 3 bouts of 2 minute WBV, the experimental (WBV) group demonstrated a significant group by test interaction for the EMD (p=0.02) and RFD (p=0.03). The experimental group decreased EMD by 16% (from 23.42 ±7.54 ms to 19.3 ±8.08 ms) and increased RFD by 15.6% (from 274.13 ±137.77 N/sec to 323.02 ±161.98 N/sec) while the control group didn't change both EMD (from 21.25 ±7.63 to 21.11 ±6.49 ms) and RFD (from 318.41 ±145.42 to 315.54 ±137.99). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that acute WBV had an effect on the functional performance of the soleus muscle as measured with EMD and RFD in young healthy subjects. Supported by TurboSonic Korea.

Effects of whole body vibration on the skeleton and other organ systems in man and animal models: What we know and what we need to know

Previous investigations reported enhanced osseous parameters subsequent to administration of whole body vibration (WBV). While the efficacy of WBV continues to be explored, scientific inquiries should consider several key factors. Bone remodeling patterns differ according to age and hormonal status. Therefore, WBV protocols should be designed specifically for the subject population investigated. Further, administration of WBV to individuals at greatest risk for osteoporosis may elicit secondary physiological benefits (e.g., improved balance and mobility). Secondly, there is a paucity of data in the literature regarding the physiological modulation of WBV on other organ systems and tissues. Vibration-induced modulation of systemic hormones may provide a mechanism by which skeletal tissue is enhanced. Lastly, the most appropriate frequencies, durations, and amplitudes of vibration necessary for a beneficial response are unknown, and the type of vibratory signal (e.g., sinusoidal) is often not reported. This review summarizes the physiological responses of several organ systems in an attempt to link the global influence of WBV. Further, we report findings focused on subject populations that may benefit most from such a therapy (i.e., the elderly, postmenopausal women, etc.) in hopes of eliciting multidisciplinary scientific inquiries into this potentially therapeutic aid which presumably has global ramifications.

Optimal Vibrational Frequency And Displacement To Elicit Maximal Skeletal Muscle Activation

Whole body vibration (WBV) has been shown to increase neuromuscular activity; however, there are limited data examining the training protocol that elicits the highest muscular activity during WBV. PURPOSE: This study analyzed the electrical activities of the vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and rectus femoris (RF) during differing WBV protocols. METHODS: 30 women, 15 athletes (ATH) and 15 non-athletes (NATH), ages 18–35 years, participated in this study. EMG activity was examined during an isometric squat on a WBV platform. The squat was performed at a knee angle of 2.10 rad with the subject either flat footed (SQF) or standing on her toes (SQT). Two displacements (2mm, 5mm) and 4 frequencies (30, 35,40 and 50 Hz) of WBV were tested. Test bouts lasted 10 seconds. A 2 (stance) × 2 (displacement) × 4 (frequency) repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine differences among conditions. A minimum of 2 minutes rest was allotted to reduce the potential for residual fatigue. All test conditions were randomized and administered on the same day. RESULTS: When comparing the SQF baseline to all testing conditions the most consistent significant differences were seen during high displacement at 30 Hz SQF and 30 and 35 Hz SQT. Significant differences were also observed between the SQT baseline and SQF high displacement at 30, 35 and 40 Hz. Additionally significant differences were detected between the SQT baseline and SQT high displacement at 35 and 40 Hz and low displacement at 40Hz. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the most effective condition for WBV during SQF was a high displacement at 30 Hz, while the SQT condition that elicited the most muscular activity was high displacement at 35 Hz.