Whole Body Vibration May Be The Next Great Fitness And Therapy Modality

Whole Body Vibration (WBV) has been popular in Europe for years

, and is slowly working its way into the US mainstream as both a viable fitness and therapy modality. Originally studied by the Soviet space program in the 1960's as a potential way to reverse rapid bone loss caused by extended time in zero gravity environments, WBV has more recently been found to be beneficial for fitness (both for general fitness and for helping elite level athletes perform better), as well as showing good potential for helping conditions as diverse as balance, circulation, low back pain, recovery from certain types of surgery, type 2 diabetes, treating osteoporosis by increasing bone mineral density.

In fitness, WBV training has been shown to increase muscular strength, explosive power, and beneficial hormone levels when performed for as little as 4 minutes three times per week. It requires relatively little exertion compared with traditional forms of exercise yet studies comparing WBV to traditional strength training have found similar gains in strength and, in some cases, more gains in explosive power. Since WBV is low impact, it can be a great choice for seniors, overweight, or deconditioned people who have trouble performing traditional weight-bearing exercise.

WBV is a neuromuscular training method that uses a low to moderate vibration stimulus to improve strength. During the most common form of WBV training, the user stands on a vibrating platform and performs a number of unloaded (i.e., typically bodyweight only) exercises. The vibrations are set at a frequency that will provide a beneficial stimulus (20Hz to 50Hz). The frequency (Hz) indicates the number of vibrations per second (25Hz means 25 vibrations per second, and 1500 per minute). At 50Hz, the muscle receives 3000 vibrations/contractions per minute.

Current theory is that WBV activates the body's own Tonic Vibration Reflex (TVR), which is a natural stretch reflex similar to a doctor tapping your knee with a reflex hammer. With WBV the reflex action is continually stimulated, so the muscle continues to contract and relax until the vibration stops. Studies have also indicated that activation of one muscle spindle will cause contraction/relaxation in many adjacent muscles. A majority of studies suggest that WBV training is as effective, and in some cases more effective, than traditional resistance training in eliciting gains in muscular strength.

In addition to fitness benefits, WBV has been reported to produce immediate effects in increasing blood concentrations of testosterone and growth hormone in healthy men while also eliciting a decrease in cortisol, the body's stress hormone (high levels of cortisol have been linked to belly fat, so reducing it is beneficial).

Women concerned about osteoporosis should also consider WBV. After menopause, bone mineral density (BMD) can decline at a rate as high as 3% per year in some women. Preliminary research studies have shown that WBV has a positive effect on BMD in post-menopausal women. In one 24 week study, hip BMD showed a significant increase of 0.93% in post-menopausal women using WBV 3x per week. In another 12 month study, WBV training effectively prevented bone loss in the spine and femur, while the placebo group lost 1.6% and 2.13% of spine and femur BMD, respectively.

WBV is a fast, effective alternative to resistance training for both sedentary and athletic people. The low-impact nature of WBV exercise coupled with the relatively low exertion required make WBV an appealing exercise method for a wide range of audiences.

by: Bob Lachniet

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