Whole body vibration training increases energy consumption in aerobic exercise

The influence of whole body vibration exercises on one’s overall health and fitness level has been intensely investigated, in most cases the results being positive and proving that vibration exercises can improve one’s fitness performance and reduce the risk of ailments. But what’s not clear yet is whether vibration workouts can successfully replace aerobic exercises in the long run, or they should only by practiced as replacement or in combination with conventional strength exercises.

There’s no doubt that vibration exercises are helpful in strengthening muscles and improving balance and flexibility, or in contributing to a better posture and helping one improve their muscle tone. All these beneficial effects of WBV workouts have been proven by several studies, but there aren’t too many studies on the influence of vibration exercises on the cardiovascular function.

Researchers from the Department of Health and Exercise Science, The College of New Jersey hope to shed some light on the link between vibration training and cardio performance, their recent study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness showing that WBV exercises done under specific conditions increase the oxygen uptake and energy expenditure during aerobic exercise, if the aerobic session starts right after the WBV training.

Schedule vibration training before aerobic exercises to burn more calories

The study was undertaken to evaluate the influence and effectiveness of vibration training as pre-workout solution for optimizing the energy consumption and increasing the metabolic rate during subsequent aerobic training.

Participants were asked to perform six sets of 10 body weight squats on a vibration machine with no WBV, a second bout with vibration at an amplitude of 1-2 mm and frequency of 40 Hz, and a third repetition with vibration at 40Hz and an amplitude of 2-3 mm.

After each whole body vibration bout, participants were asked to practice 20 minutes of constant aerobic exercise, at 65% of their maximum oxygen uptake. Among the parameters measured were the value of VO2 max, the fat oxidation rate and the carbohydrate oxidation rate.

Results showed that both men and women saw significant improvements in oxygen uptake in the beginning of the aerobic session after performing vibration exercises at a higher amplitude, the increase in the metabolic rate being dependent on the WBV machine’s amplitude.

Working out at amplitudes lower than 2 mm didn’t elevate VO2 significantly, therefore we can conclude that in order to increase energy consumption during the aerobic training with a WBV pre-workout session it’s important to set the amplitude at a higher value, and to exercise at a higher intensity.

Increase in aerobic power with 15 minutes of whole body vibration training

Positive results of vibration exercises on the aerobic performance were found by scientists at the Azad University, Masjid Soleyman Branch Iran as well. Their study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that working out on a WBV platform can lead to a significant improvement in aerobic power, jump and flexibility in non-athletic individuals.

The aim of the study was to investigate the potential benefits of vibration workouts on the cardiovascular performance of untrained men, each participant performing 8 minutes of vibration exercise at 30Hz and 10mm, with 1-minute rest breaks, for a total of 15 minutes of WBV training.

Participants were untrained, healthy males with ages between 25 and 42 years, results showing that one session of vibration exercises in the mentioned condition can significantly improve vertical jump, peak and aerobic power, as well as flexibility, but doesn’t change distance jump in a noticeable manner.

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