Hormonal responses to whole-body vibration in men.
Bosco C, Iacovelli M, Tsarpela O, Cardinale M, Bonifazi M, Tihanyi J, Viru M, De Lorenzo A, Viru A.
Eur J Appl Physiol 2000 Apr;81(6):449-54
Societa Stampa Sportiva, Rome, Italy.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute responses of blood hormone concentrations and neuromuscular performance following whole-body vibration (WBV) treatment. Fourteen male subjects [mean (SD) age 25 (4.6) years] were exposed to vertical sinusoidal WBV, 10 times for 60 s, with 60 s rest between the vibration sets (a rest period lasting 6 min was allowed after 5 vibration sets).
Neuromuscular performance tests consisting of counter-movement jumps and maximal dynamic leg presses on a slide machine, performed with an extra load of 160% of the subjects body mass, and with both legs were administered before and immediately after the WBV treatment. The average velocity, acceleration, average force, and power were calculated and the root mean square electromyogram (EMGrms) were recorded from the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris muscles simultaneously during the leg-press measurement. Blood samples were also collected, and plasma concentrations of testosterone (T), growth hormone (GH) and cortisol (C) were measured.
The results showed a significant increase in the plasma concentration of T and GH, whereas C levels decreased. An increase in the mechanical power output of the leg extensor muscles was observed together with a reduction in EMGrms activity. Neuromuscular efficiency improved, as indicated by the decrease in the ratio between EMGrms and power. Jumping performance, which was measured using the counter-movement jump test, was also enhanced. Thus, it can be argued that the biological mechanism produced by vibration is similar to the effect produced by explosive power training (jumping and bouncing).
The enhancement of explosive power could have been induced by an increase in the synchronisation activity of the motor units, and/or improved co-ordination of the synergistic muscles and increased inhibition of the antagonists. These results suggest that WBV treatment leads to acute responses of hormonal profile and neuromuscular performance.
It is therefore likely that the effect of WBV treatment elicited a biological adaptation that is connected to a neural potentiation effect, similar to those reported to occur following resistance and explosive power training. In conclusion, it is suggested that WBV influences proprioceptive feedback mechanisms and specific neural components, leading to an improvement of neuromuscular performance. Moreover, since the hormonal responses, characterised by an increase in T and GH concentration and a decrease in C concentration, and the increase in neuromuscular effectiveness were simultaneous but independent, it is speculated that the two phenomena might have common underlying mechanisms.
Adaptive responses of human skeletal muscle to vibration exposure.
Bosco C, Colli R, Introini E, Cardinale M, Tsarpela O, Madella A, Tihanyi J, Viru A.
Clin Physiol 1999 Mar;19(2):183-7
University of Rome-Tor Vergata, Italy.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of whole-body vibrations (WBV) on the mechanical behaviour of human skeletal muscle. For this purpose, six female volleyball players at national level were recruited voluntarily.
They were tested with maximal dynamic leg press exercise on a slide machine with extra loads of 70, 90, 110 and 130 kg. After the testing, one leg was randomly assigned to the control treatment (C) and the other to the experimental treatment (E) consisting of vibrations. The subjects were then retested at the end of the treatment using the leg press. Results showed remarkable and statistically significant enhancement of the experimental treatment in average velocity (AV), average force (AF) and average power (AP) (P < 0.05-0.005). Consequently, the velocity-force and power-force relationship shifted to the right after the treatment. In conclusion, it was affirmed that the enhancement could be caused by neural factors, as athletes were well accustomed to the leg press exercise and the learning effect was minimized.
Influence of vibration on mechanical power and electromyogram activity in human arm flexor muscles.
Bosco C, Cardinale M, Tsarpela O.
Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1999 Mar;79(4):306-11
University of Rome-Tor Vergata, Fondazione Don Gnocchi, Italy.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of vibration on the mechanical properties of arm flexors. A group of 12 international level boxers, all members of the Italian national team, voluntarily participated in the experiment: all were engaged in regular boxing training. At the beginning of the study they were tested whilst performing forearm flexion with an extra load equal to 5% of the subjects' body mass.
Following this, one arm was given the experimental treatment (E; mechanical vibration) and the other was the control (no treatment). The E treatment consisted of five repetitions lasting 1-min each of mechanical vibration applied during arm flexion in isometric conditions with 1min rest between them. Further tests were performed 5 min immediately after the treatment on both limbs.
The results showed statistically significant enhancement of the average power in the arm treated with vibrations. The root mean square electromyogram (EMGrms) had not changed following the treatment but, when divided by mechanical power, (P) as an index of neural efficiency, it showed statistically significant increases. It was concluded that mechanical vibrations enhanced muscle P and decreased the related EMG/P relationship in elite athletes.
Moreover, the analysis of EMGrms recorded before the treatment and during the treatment itself showed an enormous increase in neural activity during vibration up to more than twice the baseline values. This would indicate that this type of treatment is able to stimulate the neuromuscular system more than other treatments used to improve neuromuscular properties
Acute and residual effects of vibratory stimulation on explosive strength in elite and amateur athletes.
Issurin VB, Tenenbaum G.
J Sports Sci 1999 Mar;17(3):177-82
Ribstein Centre for Research and Sport Medicine Sciences, Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport, Netanya, Israel.
Fourteen elite and 14 amateur athletes were subjected to vibratory stimulation during bilateral biceps curl exercises of explosive strength exertion. The athletes performed two separate series of three sets of exercises in random order. The second set of one series was administered with superimposed vibration of 44 Hz and an acceleration of about 30 m x s(-2) transmitted through the two-arms handle to the arm muscles. The mechanical power of each repetition was measured by the 'Power Teach' instrument. The maximal and mean power values for each set were automatically recorded and shown on the screen. The acute effect was evaluated as the difference between the mean and peak power output in the second (with vibratory stimulation) and first (without vibratory stimulation) sets. Similarly, the residual effect was taken to be the difference between the power values of the third (after vibratory stimulation) and the first (before vibratory stimulation) sets.
The results were subjected to a repeated-measures analysis of variance with group as a between-participants factor. The results showed that exercise mode (with vs without vibratory stimulation) resulted in a significant immediate effect for mean power and for maximal power. The factor group (elite vs amateurs) resulted in a significant effect for maximal power only.
The increase in explosive strength exertion attributed to vibratory stimulation was 30.1 and 29.8 W (10.4% and 10.2%) for maximal and mean power respectively in the elite group, and 20.0 and 25.9 W (7.9% and 10.7%) respectively in the amateur athletes. Vibratory stimulation resulted in an insignificant residual effect.
Effect of vibratory stimulation training on maximal force and flexibility.
Issurin VB, Liebermann DG, Tenenbaum G.
J Sports Sci 1994 Dec;12(6):561-6
Ribstein Centre for Research and Sport Medicine Sciences, Wingate Institute, Wingate Post, Israel.
In this study, we investigated a new method of training for maximal strength and flexibility, which included exertion with superimposed vibration (vibratory stimulation, VS) on target muscles.
Twenty-eight male athletes were divided into three groups, and trained three times a week for 3 weeks in one of the following conditions: (A) conventional exercises for strength of the arms and VS stretching exercises for the legs; (B) VS strength exercises for the arms and conventional stretching exercises for the legs; (C) irrelevant training (control group). The vibration was applied at 44 Hz while its amplitude was 3 mm.
The effect of training was evaluated by means of isotonic maximal force, heel-to-heel length in the two-leg split across, and flex-and-reach test for body flexion. The VS strength training yielded an average increase in isotonic maximal strength of 49.8%, compared with an average gain of 16% with conventional training, while no gain was observed for the control group. The VS flexibility training resulted in an average gain in the legs split of 14.5 cm compared with 4.1 cm for the conventional training and 2 cm for the control groups, respectively. The ANOVA revealed significant pre-post training effects and an interaction between pre-post training and 'treatment' effects (P < 0.001) for the isotonic maximal force and both flexibility tests. It was concluded that superimposed vibrations applied for short periods allow for increased gains in maximal strength and flexibility.
