Vibration Training
CorePerformance.com, March 2009
By Jim Brown
The concept of vibration training, also called whole body vibration, is not new, but interest into its application for exercise and sports performance is higher than ever. Vibration training for athletes and serious exercisers involves standing, sitting, or lying on a platform that vibrates while the person performs exercises. The unstable platform activates, according to some studies, up to 95 percent of the fibers in a muscle, muscle group, or whole body compared to 40-60 percent of fibers activated during traditional resistance training. It also stimulates and challenges musculoskeletal structures (bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments) as they adapt to the vibrating movement. The supporters of this training method claim benefits of strength, flexibility, and power. Its detractors are not convinced.
There is ample evidence that whole body vibration (WBV) can recruit more muscle fibers than other resistance training methods, but activating muscle fibers does not automatically translate to physiological or performance gains. WBV stimulates blood flow, which may speed up recovery after workouts and healing after an injury. Whole body vibration appears to have potential benefits in the areas of health (maintaining balance following a stroke, for example), rehabilitation (after an ACL injury), and athletic performance (that requires strength, power, or flexibility).
What the Research Says
Dozens of studies have demonstrated potential benefits, as well as shortcoming of vibration training. Following are some examples:
• Vibration training is an effective training method to improve maximal strength and flexibility if training equipment is properly designed. (Journal of Biomechanics, April, 2005)
• Whole body vibration resulted in an increased activation of leg muscles. (Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, February, 2006)
• Acute whole body vibration training increased vertical jump and flexibility performance in elite female field hockey players. (British Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 39, 2005)
• Whole body vibration over a six-week period produced significant changes in running kinematics and explosive strength. (Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, March, 2007)
• Whole body vibration training improved proprioception and balance in athletes who underwent reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament surgery. (British Journal of Sports Medicine, January, 2008)
• Combined whole body vibration and conventional resistance training did not increase maximal muscle contraction or performance. (European Journal of Applied Physiology, March, 2006)
• Whole body vibration has the potential to induce strength gain in knee extensors among untrained females to the same extent as traditional resistance training at moderate intensity. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, January, 2003)
• WBV is a suitable training method and is as efficient as conventional resistance training in improving knee extension strength and speed of movement in older women. (Journal of the American Geriatric Society, Volume 52, 2004)
• Knee extensor and knee flexor strength are not significantly different between vibration training and control groups. Also, “getaway” out of the blocks, acceleration, and top speed were unaffected in sprinters. (International Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 26, 2005)
• Among the four studies presented at a recent meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, none found a significant immediate effect of vibration training on physical performance.
• With WBV training, younger fit subjects may not experience gains unless some type of external load is added to WBV exercise. WBV has demonstrated gains in flexibility in younger athletic populations. (Current Sports Medicine Reports, May/June, 2008)
Opposing Views
Michael Marotti, CSCS, Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Florida, says, “Our players like vibration training, they believe in it, and it works for them, so we’re going to use it.” This bit of anecdotal support is noteworthy and an example that the method is being used in high-profile NCAA Division I sports programs.
Edward R. Laskowski, MD, co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center has a less-than-enthusiastic view. “Whole body vibration is unlikely to result in any measurable weight loss or fitness gains.”
No large-scale studies involving recreational or elite athletes have been conducted. Those that have been completed, regardless of results, have been limited by small samples, specific demographic groups (sprinters, women, or older adults, for example), and a variety of research designs. Although these limitations exist, they are typical of early research in any scientific field. A body of supporting evidence collected over a period of time, as well as measurable on-the-field results, is the ultimate indicator of the value of any training method, including whole body vibration.
Training Variables
Before beginning a program of vibration training, decisions must be made regarding several variables, all of which can be modified. Those variables include frequency, amplitude, duration, body position, and external load.
Frequency refers to how many repetitions or oscillations the platform completes during a one-second cycle. In theory, the higher the frequency, the greater the load placed on the muscles and bones. Frequency is measured in hertz, and frequency in commercially available platforms usually range from 14 to 60 Hz.
Amplitude determines platform’s range of motion — how far it moves in any direction. The higher the amplitude, the greater the movement of the platform and the greater the intensity of a workout. Amplitude ranges from 3-10 mm.
Duration is how long each session of vibration training lasts. At present, the length of time ranges from 40-240 seconds (four minutes).
The number of repetitions (how many times the athlete repeats a vibration training sequence of exercises) used in research thus far is as few as three and as many as ten.
The types and amounts of external load are also variable. A person might perform any of several lifts (barbell squats, triceps dips, or knee extensions, for example) with specific loads or complete a vibration training session without external loading.
The results of vibration training are likely to depend on each individual’s response to the variables just described. There are no research-supported guidelines that apply to everyone. The same thing, however, was once said regarding the effects of traditional resistance training.
Conclusions
There is enough scientific evidence to indicate that whole body vibration training has the potential to become an effective tool when added to conventional resistance training exercises. There is not enough evidence, however, to conclude that every athlete should incorporate vibration training into his or her exercise program or that it is superior to other types of training. The cost of vibration platforms, which can be several thousand dollars, must be weighed against potential benefits.
If ongoing research continues to provide more supporting evidence than it does evidence to the contrary, vibration training combined with external loading may become an accepted adjunct to resistance, flexibility, and aerobic training. Based on how long it has taken other innovative forms of training to be fully accepted by the scientific community (weight machines, elastic bands, plyometrics, dynamic stretching), vibration training may be years away from fulfilling its promise. Establishing proper guidelines for its use could speed up that projection.
Vibration training has already been incorporated into training many routines, including those at Athletes’ Performance Institute and the Core Performance Center. It is likely to be used in combination with — not as a replacement for — conventional exercise protocols. A recreational athlete or elite performer cannot vibrate his or her way into peak condition or athletic performance. The formula for those achievements will always include personal dedication, wise use of training time and equipment, sound nutritional practices, and evidence-based principles of training.
