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Fitness efficacy of vibratory exercise compared to walking in postmenopausal women

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Abstract

In this study, we compared the efficacy of 8 months of low-frequency vibration and a walk-based program in health-related fitness. Twenty-seven postmenopausal women were randomly assigned into two groups: whole-body vibration (WBV) group (n = 18) performed three times/week a static exercise on a vibration platform (6 sets of 1-min with 1 min of rest, with a 12.6 Hz of frequency and an amplitude of 3 mm); walk-based program (WP) group (n = 18) performed three times/week a 60-min of walk activity at 70–75% of maximal heart rate. A health-related battery of tests was applied. Maximal unilateral concentric and eccentric isokinetic torque of the knee extensors was recorded by an isokinetic dynamometer. Physical fitness was measured using the following tests: vertical jump test, chair rise test and maximal walking speed test over 4 m. Maximal unilateral isokinetic strength was measured in the knee extensors in concentric actions at 60 and 300°/s, and eccentric action at 60°/s. After 8 months, the WP improved the time spent to walk 4 m (20%) and to perform the chair rise test (12%) compared to the WBV group (P = 0.006, 0.002, respectively). In contrast, the comparison of the changes in vertical jump showed the higher effectiveness of the vibratory exercise in 7% (P = 0.025). None of exercise programs showed change on isokinetic measurements. These results indicate that both programs differed in the main achievements and could be complementary to prevent lower limbs muscle strength decrease as we age [ISRCTN76235671].

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the staff and the subjects who volunteered to participate in the study for their time and effort. We also like to thank to Novotec GmbH (Pforzheim, Germany) for providing the vibration platform for our use. As a disclosure, the authors have no commercial or proprietary interest in this device. This study was partially supported by the grants from Fundação Eugénio d’Almeida, Évora, Portugal, and in Spain by the Health Department of the Government of Extremadura (Socio sanitary Research SCSS0466).

Ethical standards

The University of Extremadura Bioethics Committee according to the Helsinki declaration approved this study and was registered as randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN76235671].

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Science and Technology Research Centre, Department of Sport and Health, University of Évora, Rua Reguengos de Monsaraz 14, 7000-727, Évora, Portugal

    Armando M. Raimundo & Pablo Tomas-Carus

  2. Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10071, Cáceres, Spain

    Narcis Gusi

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  1. Armando M. Raimundo
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  2. Narcis Gusi
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  3. Pablo Tomas-Carus
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Correspondence to Armando M. Raimundo.

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Raimundo, A.M., Gusi, N. & Tomas-Carus, P. Fitness efficacy of vibratory exercise compared to walking in postmenopausal women. Eur J Appl Physiol 106, 741–748 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1067-9

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