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Whole-body vibration training in middle-aged females: improving muscle flexibility and the power of lower limbs

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Abstract

Purpose

Physical inactivity in conjunction with biological aging may lead to a decline in flexibility and neuromuscular function, contributing to physical frailty and an increased risk of injuries. Although, whole-body vibration has gained popularity as an alternative mode of exercise for improving physical fitness, only few studies examined the effects of WBV training on fitness parameters in middle-aged individuals and the outcomes are not clear. This study investigated the effects of a 2-month whole-body vibration training (WBVT) program using a side-to-side vibration mode on flexibility, on power of lower limbs and on isokinetic peak torque of middle-aged women.

Methods

Twenty-four middle-aged untrained females (43.96 ± 3.28 years) were assigned to a vibration (WBVG) or a control group (CG). The WBVT program consisted of twenty-four sessions on a side-to-side vibration platform (frequency 20–25 Hz, amplitude 6 mm, duration 6–8 min). Flexibility, vertical jumping performance (VJ), and isokinetic peak torque of knee extensors (KE) and flexors (KF) were measured prior to and 2 days following the completion of WBVT.

Results

Post-training values of flexibility and VJ were significantly higher vs. pre-training values in WBVG (p < 0.001–p < 0.01); they remained unchanged in CG. Post-training flexibility and VJ values were significantly greater in WBVG vs. CG (p < 0.001–p < 0.05). The WBVT program had no effect on isokinetic peak torque of KE and KF.

Conclusions

An 8-week WBVT program improved flexibility and VJ in middle-aged untrained females and should be used by health and fitness professionals for counteracting the detrimental effects of sedentary lifestyle on flexibility and power of lower limbs.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the participants of the study for volunteering their time. No external financial support was received for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karies, 42100, Trikala, Greece

    Vassilis Gerodimos, Konstantina Chanou & Konstantina Karatrantou

  2. Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Agios Ioannis, 62100, Serres, Greece

    Andreas Zafeiridis & Konstantina Dipla

Authors
  1. Vassilis Gerodimos
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  2. Andreas Zafeiridis
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  3. Konstantina Chanou
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  4. Konstantina Karatrantou
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  5. Konstantina Dipla
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Correspondence to Vassilis Gerodimos.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Gerodimos, V., Zafeiridis, A., Chanou, K. et al. Whole-body vibration training in middle-aged females: improving muscle flexibility and the power of lower limbs. Sport Sci Health 11, 287–294 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0238-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0238-9

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