Metabolic responses to whole-body vibration: effect of frequency and amplitude.

PURPOSE

This study assessed the effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) of varying frequency and amplitude on metabolic responses during WBV treatment and subsequent aerobic exercise.

METHODS

Eight men and eight women (21.0 ± 1.9 years) underwent one no-WBV (NV) and six WBV at 30 Hz/low amplitude (30L), 30 Hz/high amplitude (30H), 40 Hz/low amplitude (40L), 40 Hz/high amplitude (40H), 50 Hz/low amplitude (50L), and 50 Hz/high amplitude (50H). During each protocol, subjects performed ten sets of ten body weight squats with 1-min rest period between sets on a vibration platform with a load that represented one of the six frequency-amplitude combinations. Each WBV treatment was immediately followed by 20 min of cycle exercise at 65 % VO2peak. Oxygen uptake (VO2) and rates of carbohydrate (COX) and fat oxidation (FOX) were measured during both the WBV session and subsequent exercise.

RESULTS

During WBV, VO2 was higher (p < 0.05) in 40H, 50L and 50H than NV and in 50H than 30L, 30H and 40L. COX was higher (p < 0.05) in 40H, 50L, and 50H than NV, whereas FOX remained indifferent across all protocols. During subsequent exercise, VO2 was higher (p < 0.05) in 50L and 50H than NV and in 50H than 30L. No between-protocol differences were seen for COX or FOX.

CONCLUSION

WBV combined with body weight squats can augment VO2 at 40 Hz of high amplitude and 50 Hz of both low and high amplitudes. This metabolic potentiation remains in effect during subsequent aerobic exercise. WBV did not affect fat oxidation across all vibratory loads.