Research shows the vibration concept has fitness benefits

April Robyn swears by it. So do Heather Roth and Jane Mann. All three Eugene women say that “Whole Body Vibration” has worked so well for them that it’s become a centerpiece in their overall fitness routines.

The concept of building muscle strength and improving bone density by merely standing, or even sitting, on a vibrating platform sounds too good to be true — and it certainly has its skeptics — but there’s also a roster of scientists and physiologists who agree there’s something to it. Kenji Carp, clinic director at Physiotherapy Associates in Eugene, said he’s aware from following the research that whole body vibration “really appears to help fairly deconditioned people, and it also apparently can enhance the performance of elite athletes without using illegal substances.”

“It’s not an answer to everything, but it is apparently an answer to some things,” Carp said. The procedure may hold promise especially for helping elderly people with balance and bone density problems, which could lower the incidence of life-threatening falls, he said. However, until more definitive studies have been done on the long-term benefits of whole body vibration on people in the middle of the fitness spectrum, “like with most things, there should be a little bit of ‘buyer beware’ involved,” he said.

Lori Hamilton passionately believes in the benefits of whole body vibration. With the help of her parents, she runs an in-home fitness center in west Eugene that includes three of the expensive, programmable vibration machines. The business, Ascending Energy, has a growing clientele of mostly middle-age women who regularly spend 10 to 20 minutes at a time giving their muscles and bones a workout that Hamilton says offers more benefit than an hour of regular weight training. “Whole body vibration is not a replacement for other kinds of exercise — you still need to do cardiovascular exercise like walking or swimming,” Hamilton said. “But it’s a great starting point for people who don’t have the motivation or time for a full weight-training workout, because it’s simple and it involves all of the muscle planes at once.”

It’s also effective for people who already have a regular weight-training routine, says Jason Hand, a master’s candidate in human physiology at the University of Oregon. Hand has conducted studies on whole body vibration with UO student athletes.

He divided the students into three groups; weight training only, vibration platform training only and a combination of the two. Although he hasn’t written up his findings yet, his preliminary results show that the groups that did both types of training or Vibration Training alone showed more gain than traditional weight-training alone. “The exact mechanism is not completely known, but for some reason at the cellular level, vibration training can cause changes in the body similar to weight training,” Hand said. “My conclusion is that the therapy can be very helpful by itself, and when combined with other (weight) training, it can do even more.”

Hamilton’s Ascending Energy isn’t the only fitness center in the Eugene-Springfield area that offers whole body vibration. But a top-end commercial-grade platform that provides “three-dimensional vibration” can cost as much as $12,000, a major business investment not all choose to make, she said.

As explained in a 2005 article in the IDEA Fitness Journal, a publication for health and fitness professionals, whole body vibration simultaneously activates both the stretch and contraction reflexes of the muscles, and the sequence of stretching and contracting — the source of muscle strength — continues until the vibration stops. “It requires relatively little exertion compared with traditional forms of exercise. Yet studies comparing this training method to traditional strength training have found similar gains in strength and, in some cases, more gains in explosive power,” the journal reported. “Since WBV is low impact, it may be a particularly good choice for older or obese clients who have trouble doing traditional weight-bearing exercise.” It was neither age nor weight but a knee injury that got wiry, Robyn, 47, hooked on whole body vibration.

“I’m the kind of person who has to work out, who has to be moving all the time,” she said. “Because of my knee, I couldn’t do the kind of exercise I was doing before. So I started out doing just my knee — just sitting on the platform — and it really made a huge difference. Now I stand on the platform for about 10 minutes, and then I do another 10 minutes on it, doing positions that work all different sets of muscles.”

If she had the money, she said, “I would buy one of these and have it at home in my basement.” Robyn has her own health practice, Sweet Energy, specializing in Reiki healing. “I tell all my clients about whole body vibration.” Muscle tone and bone density are not the only benefits that the whole body vibration movement claims. Hamilton says the procedure also can have positive effects on conditions such as fibromyalgia, sleep irregularities and stress. After 10 sessions, Heather Roth said the effects of her seasonal affective disorder have greatly diminished.

“For the past two years, I’ve had terrible seasonal depression, made worse by working nights,” Roth said. “But I tried this after a friend raved about it, and it has really made a big difference; my energy level is so much higher, and I feel so much better. I love living in this area, so if this helps me combat the environment, I’m all for it.” Besides muscle toning and body reshaping, whole body vibration improves the working of the lymphatic drainage system and also increases production of seratonin and dopamine, which explains its effects on mood and sleep, Hamilton said.

“Weight loss is not a goal of whole body vibration, although inch loss is, as muscles become stronger and more toned,” she said. Hamilton herself has dropped three clothing sizes since starting vibration workouts, and her mother has lost 40 pounds and 19 inches, she said.

Whole body vibration has gained more popularity in Europe than in the United States. It originated in the Soviet Union’s space program as a way to counteract the effects of extended periods in space on the bones and muscles of cosmonauts. The benefits of the exercise, which included quicker healing from injuries as well as increased muscle strength and jumping ability, eventually were extended to Soviet athletes and ballet dancers.

Jane Mann took up whole body vibration at Ascending Energy after a bone density scan showed her “on the cusp of losing bone density in the left hip and lower back.” “My doctor wanted to treat it with hormones, but I wasn’t ready for that,” Mann said. “A friend told me to come here, and after I’d been doing it a month I didn’t hurt any more. I also had some depression before, and that’s much better now.”

In addition, total body vibration “is a good weight workout without muscle soreness,” she said. “I have lots of upper-body strength that I didn’t have before. I combine this with walking, and I have had really good results. Once you get into this habit, you really get hooked.”

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Can Vibration Training enhance Sports Performance?

All shook up – can vibration training enhance sport performance?

Although vibration training has been around for 40 years, the potential benefits for sportsmen and women have only recently begun to be properly researched. John Shepherd takes a look at the latest thinking on this training methodology and in particular, examines the role that vibration training may play in enhancing speed, power and flexibility in sport performance

The concept of vibration training was originally developed by Russian scientists as part of their space programme and in particular, the desire to keep their cosmonauts in space in the best physical condition as possible for the longest period of time. The USSR (as it was then) actually held numerous endurance records in this respect.

Vibration training requires the use of specially designed machines that vibrate at specific frequencies (normally between 30 and 50Hz). The most popular type of vibration machines are ‘platform-based’, which allow the user to perform a variety of exercises while standing, or placing their hands on the vibrating plate to perform upper body exercises, such as triceps dips. Other items of vibration equipment include dumbbells and breathing devices.

Physiology of vibration training

Although there remains uncertainty about the precise magnitude of the benefits of vibration training, there’s no doubt that it does produce profound physiological effects in the body:

• Vibration training can recruit nearly 100% of a muscle’s fibres. This contrasts with the 40%-60% recruitment normally associated with other resistance training activities. Vibration training achieves these high recruitment levels by creating an almost continuous stretch/reflex in muscles. This is known as a tonic stretch/reflex and means that while undergoing vibration training, muscles are contracting at incredibly high frequencies, which also subjects them to considerable forces. These vibrational forces are believed to be highly advantageous for the enhancement of fast-twitch muscle fibre (more later);
• Vibration training stimulates muscular blood flow, which can speed up recovery from workouts and rehabilitation from injury. Increased blood flow will bring restorative nutrients to muscles cells and clear out damaged tissue faster;
• The tonic stretch/reflex produced by vibration training can interact with the muscle’s own contraction frequencies. Fast-twitch muscle for example, contracts (twitches) at a rate of 30-70 times a second when stimulated by, for example, heavy load weight training and speed training. By duplicating these frequencies with vibration training, these fibres can be worked even harder – ie greater fibre recruitment – without the need for a huge ‘mental’ input from the athlete.

Recent research into vibration training

An increasing body of research exists on the merits of vibration training for both athletes and the recreational fitness trainer. The former has looked at the effects of this training method on increasing power, strength and flexibility, while the latter has examined whether vibration training can be as effective as resistance and even CV training methods for improving body composition.

A team of Italian researchers considered the effects of whole-body vibration training on various measures in female competitive athletes(1). Whole-body vibration requires the athlete to stand on the Vibration Machine plate for designated time spans and/or perform reps of designated exercises, with or without added resistance.

The athletes were split between a vibration group (13 athletes) who trained three times a week for eight weeks and a control group (11 athletes). At the end of this period they were tested on: countermovement jump, leg extension strength, horizontal leg press, and flexibility (sit and reach test). The researchers discovered that the vibration group displayed a significant improvement in leg extension strength, countermovement jump performance and flexibility. There were no significant changes in the tested abilities of the controls. The team qualified their findings by indicating that the optimal frequency, amplitude (movement of the vibration platform), and G-forces need to be identified when using vibration training in order to maximise its effects.

Researchers from the Universities of Aberdeen and North Dakota discovered that a 30Hz protocol with 10mm amplitude and 60 seconds on/60 seconds off of vibration training exercise elicited the most significant muscle fibre recruitment in the vastus lateralis (thigh muscle) as measured by EMG(2). Higher frequencies did not elicit a significantly superior response. The athletes – in this case elite female volleyball players – stood on the platform in a squat position, with their knees at a 100-degree angle.

A team from Belgium considered whole-body vibration on knee extension strength and speed of movement and countermovement jump performance in older women aged 58-74 over a 24-week period(3). Interestingly, this particular study included a resistance training group as well as a control group.

Both the vibration group and the resistance group trained three times a week. The former performed unloaded static and dynamic knee extension exercises on a vibration platform, while the latter trained their quadriceps (knee extensors) by performing dynamic leg press and leg extension exercises, increasing from low (20 repetitions maximum – RM)) to high (8RM) resistance. The control group did not participate in any training.

Tests were performed before training commenced, at 12 weeks and at the end of the study. Leg extension strength was measured isometrically and dynamically, as was speed of movement of knee extension using an external resistance equivalent to 1%, 20%, 40%, and 60% of isometric maximum. Countermovement jump performance was determined using a contact mat, which measured jump height and force generation.

The results showed that isometric and dynamic knee extensor strength increased significantly in the vibration group and the resistance group after 24 weeks of training. Crucially, the training effects were not significantly different between the groups. Speed of movement of knee extension significantly increased at low resistance (1% or 20% of isometric maximum) in the vibration group only.

These findings led the researchers to conclude that vibration training is, ‘…a suitable training method and is as efficient as conventional resistance training when improving knee extension strength and speed of movement and countermovement jump performance in older women.’ Crucially they also argued that it was the vibration and not the performance of unloaded exercises on the vibration machine that resulted in enhanced physical performance.

Vibration training combined with aerobic exercise

Another interesting piece of research by the same researchers compared the effects of whole-body vibration training for fitness purposes on untrained women(4). What makes this research particularly intriguing is the fact that aerobic training was also included in the design.

Forty-eight untrained young women were divided into a whole-body vibration group who performed unloaded static and dynamic exercises on a vibration platform, a fitness group who followed a conventional cardiovascular and resistance training programme, and a non-exercising control group. Both exercising groups trained three times a week and the researchers measured body composition (using underwater weighing and skinfold measurements) as well as isometric and isokinetic knee extensor strength.

Over the 24-week programme there were no significant changes in weight, percentage body fat, nor in skinfold thickness in any of the exercise groups. However, fat-free mass increased significantly in the whole-body vibration group only. This indicates an increase in muscle mass, probably because of the vibration training’s ability to recruit more muscle fibres, in particular the fast-twitch type.

This group also benefited from a significant strength increase, as did the fitness group and the researchers concluded that, ‘The gain in strength [for the vibration training protocol] is comparable to the strength increase following a standard fitness training programme consisting of cardiovascular and resistance training.’
Vibration and speed

There’s no denying that evidence exists that vibration training can increase strength (isometric and isokinetic) and improve lean muscle mass, in both trained and untrained subjects. But what about more specific sports performance measures? Can vibration training enhance speed, for example?
Another team of researchers from Belgium set about discovering whether whole-body vibration training could enhance sprint performance (5). Twenty experienced sprinters (13 male, seven female, aged 17-30 years old) were randomly assigned to a whole-body vibration group, or a control group.

Over a five-week training period, the vibration group sprinters performed whole-body vibration workouts three times a week in addition to their normal training, while the control group trained as normal. The vibration programme consisted of unloaded static and dynamic leg exercises on a vibration platform using frequencies and amplitudes of 35-40Hz and 1.7-2.5mm respectively. The researchers tested pre and post-isometric and isokinetic knee extensor and flexor strength and vertical jump performance. Importantly, actual sprint performance was also measured.

The results showed that isometric and dynamic knee extensor and knee flexor strength were not significantly different between the vibration training and control groups. Moreover, in terms of improved sprint performance, the researchers found that getaway out of the blocks, acceleration and top-speed running were all unaffected by either training protocol. However, as other research indicates that vibration training can bring about improvements in strength and power in both athletes and the relatively untrained, it could be that five weeks of intervention was not enough time for the vibration training to work. It could also be that at the time of the study, the sprinters were not ready to move into their ‘maximum speed’ training phase, which could affect their ability to generate increased speed.

Summary

It seems from the research quoted that whole-body vibration training can enhance (or at least match) performance in sport and fitness activities achieved by ‘normal’ training methods. However, there are contradictions as displayed by the ability of vibration training to potentiate, for example countermovement jump performance, but not sprint performance. Although more research in this area is required to investigate the precise correlation between vibration training and specific sports performance, athletes with access to vibration training machines may find it worthwhile experimenting with this training method in their routines in the meantime.

John Shepherd MA is a specialist health, sport and fitness writer and a former international long jumper

References
1 Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2006; 85(12):956-62
2 J Strength Cond Res 2003; 17(3) 621-624
3 J Am Geriatr Soc 2004; 52(6):901-8
4 Int J Sports Med 2004; 25(1):1-5
5 Int J Sports Med 2005; 26(8):662-8
6 Br J Sports Med 2005; 39:860-865

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Shaking your way to fitness!

"Ladies, jiggle your fat away" was the sales pitch I heard as I walked through the women's figure salon toward the instructor's lounge. It was the late '70s, and the old vibrating-belt machine stood in the corner, unused.

Instead, ladies dressed in black-spandex leotards and legwarmers flocked to my Slimnastics classes, where I coached them to roll around on the pink carpet and perform hundreds of leg lifts in a variety of contorted positions. "No pain, no gain" was the mantra chanted by my followers as they limped out the door. Classes increased, membership skyrocketed, and one day I noticed the wacky relic had been replaced by a small fern, making room for larger classes. Well, those wacky relics are back, sort of.

Not your momma's vibration machines, the new Whole Body Vibration (WBV) devices resemble a large platform medical scale with handles. Rather than passively leaning back with a vibrating belt jiggling around your waist, you stand on a vibrating platform with the option of performing exercises, such as squats and bicep curls, with belt-like attachments.

"There's no comparison that can be made when describing the new machines to the old vibrating-belt machines," says Joseph F. Signorile, Ph.D, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami and research health-science specialist at the Miami Veterans Affairs Health Center. "The old machines' job was to shake up fat, break it down, and it would magically disappear," he says. At best, using the relics burned a few calories from the effort expended trying not to fall off and perhaps a few more by keeping you busy and away from the fridge.

Standing on the new vibrating machine accelerates the entire body in an oscillating motion, which creates a gravitational force causing you to "work" without all the strain and effort. Great for beginners who want to exercise, but lack the stamina, or athletes who want to train on "off" days in-between hard workouts, or morbidly obese individuals who can't participate in more rigorous activities safely, says Signorile.

Despite all these promising claims, I could not find one local gym or studio with the Whole Body Vibration device. What gives? "Vibration Training is still in its infancy," says Signorile. "Think back to the '20s and '30s, when weight-training was thought to be only for circus performers; once the research was done, proper protocols established and its efficacy proven, then its popularity soared."

Signorile has been interested in vibration technology since the mid-'80s, and his team's recent vibration research includes studies for all populations on improving muscle power, increasing flexibility and burning more calories. Signorile conducts his research on commercial models with price tags in the whopping $10,000-and-up range. When asked his views on lower-priced, infomercial models, Signorile offers, "Would you buy a car for $159 and expect to get the performance of a Mercedes?"

Before starting, it's a good idea to check with your doctor, says Signorile. Your doctor can best advise you of any contraindications. Then try it under the watchful eye of a fitness professional who understands safe-training protocols, such as proper time limits and correct vibration frequencies.

"It's too new to know it all -- all the positives and all the negatives -- but it's also much too promising to dismiss," says Signorile. "Every time I put someone on the vibrating plate, they laugh at the sensation," he says. "They view it as fun. So much fun I have a hard time getting them off. I've been training people for years, and this is the first time that's ever happened."

This one reason may be enough to fuel its future in fitness. Maybe soon the ferns in your gym will be replaced with this new/old technology.

BY MARE PETRAS
www.heraldtribune.com

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New Zealand personal trainer and qualified kettlebell instructor Teneka Hyndman was recently awarded First Place, “Novice Figure Short”, at the NZFBB National Bodybuilding Championships and Second Place at the NABBA National Amateur Bodybuilding Championships.

Teneka’s entry into the world of fitness and bodybuilding began in 1999 with her desire to train for competitive dance aerobics. Needing to improve her strength, she entered into weight training and found a real passion for it. Reshaping her body and completing a physical education degree, she became a Gym instructor and, within a year, a highly sought after personal trainer. She entered into her first bodybuilding competition in 2001 and winning her class, Teneka, 29, has competed the past four years with 2008 being her most successful. With a hardcore attitude about exercise Teneka has continually updated her skills and qualifications, becoming a qualified kettlebell trainer, also certified in relaxation and sports massage, and completed courses in peak Pilates mat exercises. She also has three years experience working for a physiotherapy clinic as a rehab trainer, assisting clients through rehabilitation exercises.

Teneka’s personal exercise regime consists predominately of weight training, plus functional training using cables, Swiss balls, medicine balls, and a bosu, as well as cardio sessions on the treadmill, and Vibration Training three times a week. For her clients to reach their fitness goals, Teneka prefers traditional training methods such as weights and cardio. For her more active and experienced clients she adds in Pilates mat exercises, kettlebell training, and other exercises from an extensive list for functional training.

I was first introduced to Teneka at Vibration Auckland City studio where she was using a Sports Model (Level 5) Vibration Machine as part of her program in the lead-up to Regional and National Figure Competitions early last year. When I asked what benefits she was seeing, Teneka told me vibration training was taking her body to a whole new level. She’d first experienced vibration training in 2007 when a friend took her along for a free trial. Thinking it would be easy she was shocked when that first session showed her weaknesses. She was unconvinced but interested enough to return for more sessions and over the next month she saw changes in her body shape.

Starting on a Level 2 platform as all newcomers do, Teneka trained using the program with machine settings of 43Hz with 3mm amplitude. She said it is impossible to imagine the intense feeling in the muscles you get using a training machine until you try it, and she understands how confusing it must be for people who have only seen or tried low intensity copies. With her exercise experience and quickly learning to hold perfect position on the machines, Teneka moved through the levels, achieving the Sports Model (Level 5 intensity) in only six weeks.

Two weeks before the 2007 Bodybuilding Nationals, while following her body sculpting program, she desperately needed to look firmer fast [her emphasis] so she trained every second day on the Sports Model machine achieving the desired “firm athletic look” needed for competition. She competed for NABBA Nationals in "Physique" that year and placed second, and the NZFBB Nationals in "Body Fitness Short" and placed third. She then thought, “What, would happen if I did Vibration for an entire year?”

Teneka told me, “Vibration training has firmed up my 'soft bits,' improving definition and strength in my butt and thighs. My legs have never ever looked so great! I’d never had legs this 'hot' just doing weights plus cardio on the treadmill; Vibra-Train was the only change, so I know it was due to this.” She added that she’d seen a noticeable difference in her physical appearance, muscular strength, and endurance compared with her previous gym program. In the vibrating studio she sees other gym members who only ever do aerobic classes and many people who would never go to a gym. She said, “As a trainer I think it’s great to see them doing vibration training as it enhances their muscular development in ways similar to weight training and promotes health benefits associated with regular physical activity.”

 I asked Teneka where she saw vibration training fitting into the fitness industry in the future; was it as a fad that would pass or was it a genuine training method? She answered, “Vibration training is another method of exercise. It plays an integral role in adding variety to a well-rounded training regime and when used on a regular basis it has long-term benefits which enhance other areas of physical performance and sport training. It is safe and easy to use, as there is an instructor on-site at all times to assist with the exercises." On newcomers to exercise who might want weight loss or improved fitness Teneka commented, “It’s good for everyone!” Lloyd Shaw then commented that even the most unfit individual would start to see results within three weeks of vibration training, just as Teneka had done if using a high quality machine and safety program, and guided by a trained instructor. Teneka praised the instructors, saying, “The instructors are awesome. They gave me new challenges which I love and the concept is simple -- maintain perfect technique.”

Teneka has found vibration training to be the X-factor in her constant success in bodybuilding competitions over the past year.

Written by Di Heap

Di Heap is a registered Fitness Consultant and Vibration Training Instructor. Also qualified as Pharmacy Technician (prescriptions) and with certificates in Business Management, Computing, and Communications she has an avid interest in encouraging people to improve their health and meet their fitness goals. Living in Auckland, New Zealand. she enjoys beach walks and trail walking into the bush and mountains.