Effects of whole-body vibration exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and body fat in women with overweight and obesity: A randomized pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise has been acknowledged as an alternative exercise method for improving functional capacity. We examined the effects of an 8-week WBV exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength (MS) and body composition in young women.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Twenty-six inactive women with overweight and obesity (age: 30.2 ± 8.0 years, BMI: 25.7 ± 1.9 kg/m) were randomly assigned to WBV exercise (n = 13) or control (n = 13) groups. The WBV exercise group participated in static and dynamic exercises on a vibration platform (3 sessions/week, 60 min/session) for 8 weeks. The control group maintained their usual lifestyle without structured exercise. CRF was measured by VO and MS index was measured by the 1-RM (kg) for the chest and leg press, expressed relative to body weight (kg). Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Of the 26 participants randomized, 23 participants (13 WBV and 10 controls) completed the intervention, with 94.2 % exercise adherence rate. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the WBV exercise group had reductions (p < 0.05 for all) in body weight (-2.4 kg), BMI (-0.9 kg/m), body fat (-2.8 kg) and waist circumference (-3.5 cm) compared to the control group. VO (pre: 27.9 ± 4.8 vs. post: 30.7 ± 4.4 ml/kg/min, p = 0.005) and MS index (pre: 2.0 ± 0.4 vs. post: 3.0 ± 0.7, p < 0.001) increased in the WBV exercise group, but not in the control group.

CONCLUSION

WBV exercise is effective for improving fitness and body fat in young women with overweight and obesity.