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Influence of isolated or simultaneous application of electromyostimulation and vibration on leg blood flow

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to analyze the acute effects of isolated or simultaneously applied whole-body vibration (WBV) and electromyostimulation (ES) on the popliteal arterial blood velocity and skin temperature (ST) of the calf.

Methods

Thirteen healthy males were assessed in five different sessions. After a familiarization session, four interventions were applied in random order; WBV, ES, simultaneous WBV and ES (WBV+ES), and 30 s of WBV followed by 30 s of ES (WBV30/ES30). Each intervention consisted of 10 sets × 1 min ON + 1 min OFF. The subject was standing on the vibration platform (squat position, 30° knee flexion, 26 Hz, 5 mm peak-to-peak), and ES was applied on the gastrocnemius of both the legs (8 Hz, 400 µs).

Results

The WBV+ES intervention was the only one that maintained the mean blood velocity (MBV) elevated above baseline during the 10 sets, from set-1 (134.6 % p < 0.01) to set-10 (112.6 % p < 0.05). The combined interventions were the only ones that maintained the peak blood velocity (PBV) elevated above baseline during all the sets, from set-1 (113.5 % p < 0.001) to set-10 (88.8 % p < 0.01) and from set-1 (58.4 % p < 0.01) to set-10 (49.1 % p < 0.05) for WBV+ES and WBV30/ES30, respectively.

Conclusion

The simultaneous application of WBV and ES produced a general greater increase in MBV and PBV than the application of each method alone or consecutive. This novel methodological proposal could be interesting in different fields such as sports or the rehabilitation process of different pathologies, to achieve an enhanced peripheral blood flow.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ES:

Electromyostimulation

MBV:

Mean blood velocity

PBV:

Peak blood velocity

ST:

Superficial temperature

WBV:

Whole-body vibration

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Acknowledgments

This study was carried out thanks to funding from the Ministry of Education of the Government of Castilla y León.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre on Physical Disability, ASPAYM Castilla y León Foundation, C/Treviño 74, 47008, Valladolid, Spain

    Héctor Menéndez, Cristina Ferrero & Azael J. Herrero

  2. Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA

    Arturo Figueroa

  3. Faculty of Health Sciences, European University Miguel de Cervantes, Valladolid, Spain

    Juan Martín-Hernández, Azael J. Herrero & Pedro J. Marín

Authors
  1. Héctor Menéndez
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  2. Juan Martín-Hernández
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  3. Cristina Ferrero
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  4. Arturo Figueroa
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  5. Azael J. Herrero
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  6. Pedro J. Marín
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Héctor Menéndez.

Additional information

Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Menéndez, H., Martín-Hernández, J., Ferrero, C. et al. Influence of isolated or simultaneous application of electromyostimulation and vibration on leg blood flow. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1747–1755 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3161-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3161-5

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