How Vibration Therapy Helps Athletes?

Nowadays, the competitive sport has evolved to cosmic levels. New research is done daily, novel supplements are tested each week and innovative equipment is implemented more or less every month. One of the latest additions in that area is the vibration plate, which up until now is showing quite promising results.

In this article, we are going to explore the benefits of whole-body vibration and how it can help athletes improve their performance. So, without further ado, let’s move on.

Is vibration good for injuries?

For the past decade or so, the vibration plate has been used by many elite athletes to help improve performance, speed up recovery and reduce the risk of injuries. So far, it has been established that whole-body vibration improves the circulation of fluids such as lymph and blood, increases muscle power, and strengthens bones. What is even more, the vibrating machine can be useful even if an injury has already occurred.

Numerous studies, such as this one, have shown that vibration therapy aids recovery from physical injuries, such as strains, joint injuries, and back pain. The plate produces high-frequency waves that are gentle to the organs and can be easily controlled. The oscillations go through the body aiding blood circulation, reducing swelling, and increasing heat. You can easily target the injured area by allowing direct contact with the plate and let the vibrations do their job.

Furthermore, the equipment has been proven helpful for athletes with chronic injuries and those who experience spinal alignment problems. All these are pretty common conditions in professional sport and have ended the careers of many sportsmen worldwide. Only 15 – 20 minutes a day on the vibration plate are enough to help release body tension and restore normal neuromuscular functioning.

How do vibrations help muscles?

The body vibration machine benefits more or less every part of the body. The vibrations that are produced by the plate stimulate muscle fiber contraction at a rate that is up to 20 times faster than traditional types of exercise. This is possible thanks to the higher G-force that is achieved while standing on the vibrating platform. In this case, “G” stands for “Gravity”. For instance, if a machine produces 5G, that means that it generates a force that is equal to 5 times the Earth’s gravity.

The higher the G-force a machine can obtain, the better the exercise outcomes. It has been estimated that athletes achieve best results when using force equal to or above 10G. This is among the most important factors to consider when looking to invest in a body vibration machine.

Here is how the equipment can help you improve your training and increase muscle strength:

• The vibration plate generates high-frequency vibrations that stimulate faster muscle fiber contraction and enhance muscle activity in less time;
• According to this Meta-Analysis, high-frequency oscillations improve blood circulation thus increasing oxygen supply to muscle tissue and promoting better nutrients exchange between muscle cells;
• Whole-body vibration allows for high-quality training in lesser time which leaves a bigger window for rest, recovery, food supplementation, and lymphatic drainage;
• The vibration therapy leads to a reduced warm-up time which lowers significantly the risk of injuries and allows for easier and more comfortable movements;
• The regular use of the fitness equipment (15 – 20 minutes a day, 3 – 4 days a week) has been shown to increase testosterone levels by 7%, muscle power by 20%, and growth hormone levels by up to 360%;

Does vibration help with muscle recovery?

Apart from boosting muscle strength, increasing bone density, and lowering the risk of injuries, vibration therapy has been proven helpful in promoting muscle recovery. By stimulating muscle tissue to contract and relax, the platform speeds up lymphatic drainage, reduces muscle tension, and decreases post-workout soreness. And have we mentioned that the machine requires little to no effort from you which further reduces muscle recovery time.

Another great benefit from using the vibration plate for recovery is the possibility to target specific body areas. For example, if you wish to achieve faster recovery in your quadriceps, you can adjust your body position so that the muscle is placed directly onto the vibrating plate. Adjust the frequency and the duration accordingly and let the oscillations do the rest. Alternatively, you can perform various stretching exercises while on the platform to further speed up recovery and remove tension.

Do professional athletes use vibration plates?

For the past decade or so, vibration plates have gained a lot of popularity among fitness enthusiasts and people who wish to reduce their weight or improve overall health. But the use of the innovative machine does not stop there. Professional sport has also realized the huge potential of the platform and today it is part of the training and recovery equipment of almost every sporting team, regardless of the field.

More and more athletes are using the vibration plate for improving flexibility, increasing muscle strength, speeding up warm-up time, increasing bone mineral density, preventing injuries, and aiding recovery. One of the greatest benefits of the machine is the fact that it requires very little time and almost no additional effort from the athlete. All it takes is 15 – 20 minutes a day, several days per week. That’s all.

Furthermore, scientific research has shown that the vibration platform helps reduce the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, and increases the feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin.

Here’s how the vibration plate helps thousands of athletes across the globe improve their performance and reduce the risk of injuries:

• Speeds-up recovery time and healing of physical injuries
• Boosts muscle power, strength, flexibility, and speed
• Improves agility and coordination
• Decreases the accumulation of lactic acid in muscles
• Raises testosterone and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) levels
• Improves blood circulation and oxygen supply to tissues
• Strengthens bones, joints, and tendons
• Reduces stress and cortisol levels

Conclusion

The vibration plate is a great addition to every athlete’s workout toolkit. The equipment offers numerous benefits, requiring little time and no effort in return. The platform helps in boosting muscle strength and mass, improving blood and lymph circulation, promoting bone density, increasing flexibility and coordination, reducing pain, and accelerating recovery.

Many athletes across the globe have already realized the potential of body vibration machines and have managed to improve performance and reduce injury risk. So far the scientific studies are showing pretty positive results that speak for a bright and promising future of vibrating equipment.

References (in order of appearance)

Timon, R., Tejero, J., Brazo-Sayavera, J., Crespo, C., & Olcina, G. (2016). Effects of whole-body vibration after eccentric exercise on muscle soreness and muscle strength recovery. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(6), 1781–1785.

Games, K. E., Sefton, J. M., & Wilson, A. E. (2015). Whole-body vibration and blood flow and muscle oxygenation: a meta-analysis. Journal of athletic training, 50(5), 542–549.

Kim, S. S., Ju, S. B., & Park, G. D. (2015). Changes in stress hormone levels with the application of vibrations before resistance exercises at different intensities. Journal of physical therapy science, 27(9), 2845–2847.