The Effects of Different Vibration Frequencies, Amplitudes and Contraction Levels on Lower Limb Muscles during Graded Isometric Contractions Superimposed on Whole Body Vibration Stimulation

AbstractBackgroundIndirect vibration stimulation i.e. whole body vibration or upper limb vibration, has been suggested increasingly as an effective exercise intervention for sports and rehabilitation applications. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of whole body vibration (WBV) stimulation superimposed to graded isometric contractions superimposed on. For this scope, we investigated the effects of WBV superimposed to graded isometric contractions in the lower limbs on muscle activation. We also assessed the agonist-antagonist co-activation during this type of exercise.Twelve healthy volunteers were exposed to WBV superimposed to graded isometric contractions, at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of the maximum voluntary contractions (V) or just isometric contractions performed on a custom designed horizontal leg press Control (C). Tested stimulation consisted of 30Hzand 50Hz frequencies and 0.5mm and 1.5mm amplitudes. Surface electromyographic activity of Vastus Lateralis (VL), Vastus Medialis (VM) and Biceps Femoris (BF) were measured during V and C conditions. Co-contraction activity of agonist-antagonist muscles was also quantified. The trials were performed in random order.ResultsBoth the prime mover, (VL) and the antagonist, (BF) displayed significantly higher (P < 0.05) EMG activity with the V than the C condition. For both the VL and BF, the increase in mean EMGrms values depended on the frequency, amplitude and muscle contraction level with 50Hz-0.5mm stimulation inducing the largest neuromuscular activity. 50Hz-0.5mm V condition also led to co-activation ratios significantly (P< 0.05) higher at 40, 80 and 100% of MVC than the C condition.ConclusionsOur results show that the isometric contraction superimposed on vibration stimulation leads to higher neuromuscular activity compared to isometric contraction alone in the lower limbs. Compared to the control condition, the vibratory stimulation leads to higher agonist-antagonist co-activation of the muscles around the knee joint in all vibration conditions and effort levels. The combination of vibration magnitude (frequency and amplitude) and the level of muscle contraction affect neuromuscular activity rather than vibration frequency alone. Results of this study suggest that more parameters need to be taken into consideration when designing vibration exercise programs for sports and rehabilitation purposes.

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Effects of different vibration frequencies, amplitudes and contraction levels on lower limb muscles during graded isometric contractions superimposed on whole body vibration stimulation

Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering ◽

10.1177/2055668319827466 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 205566831982746 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amit N Pujari ◽

Richard D Neilson ◽

Marco Cardinale

Keyword(s):

Isometric Contraction ◽

Vastus Lateralis ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Biceps Femoris ◽

Whole Body ◽

Isometric Contractions ◽

Electromyographic Activity ◽

Mean Square ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Neuromuscular Activity

Background Indirect vibration stimulation, i.e., whole body vibration or upper limb vibration, has been investigated increasingly as an exercise intervention for rehabilitation applications. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of graded isometric contractions superimposed on whole body vibration stimulation. Hence, the objective of this study was to quantify and analyse the effects of variations in the vibration parameters and contraction levels on the neuromuscular responses to isometric exercise superimposed on whole body vibration stimulation. Methods In this study, we assessed the ‘neuromuscular effects’ of graded isometric contractions, of 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of maximum voluntary contraction, superimposed on whole body vibration stimulation (V) and control (C), i.e., no-vibration in 12 healthy volunteers. Vibration stimuli tested were 30 Hz and 50 Hz frequencies and 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm amplitude. Surface electromyographic activity of the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and biceps femoris were measured during V and C conditions with electromyographic root mean square and electromyographic mean frequency values used to quantify muscle activity and their fatigue levels, respectively. Results Both the prime mover (vastus lateralis) and the antagonist (biceps femoris) displayed significantly higher (P < 0.05) electromyographic activity with the V than the C condition with varying percentage increases in EMG root-mean-square (EMGrms) values ranging from 20% to 200%. For both the vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, the increase in mean EMGrms values depended on the frequency, amplitude and muscle contraction level with 50 Hz–0.5 mm stimulation inducing the largest neuromuscular activity. Conclusions These results show that the isometric contraction superimposed on vibration stimulation leads to higher neuromuscular activity compared to isometric contraction alone in the lower limbs. The combination of the vibration frequency with the amplitude and the muscle tension together grades the final neuromuscular output.

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Do whole body vibration exercises affect lower limbs neuromuscular activity in populations with a medical condition? A systematic review

Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience ◽

10.3233/rnn-170765 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 667-681 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Carla Fontoura Dionello ◽

Patrícia Lopes de Souza ◽

Danubia Sá-Caputo ◽

Danielle Soares Morel ◽

Eloá Moreira-Marconi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Whole Body ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Neuromuscular Activity

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Occupational Vibration in Urban Bus and Influence on Driver’s Lower Limbs

U Porto Journal of Engineering ◽

10.24840/2183-6493_004.001_0005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 56-66

Author(s):

M. Cvetkovic ◽

J. Santos Baptista ◽

M. A. Pires Vaz

Keyword(s):

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Working Environment ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Whole Body ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Prisma Statement ◽

Physical Changes ◽

Iso 2631 ◽

The Impact ◽

Whole Body Vibrations

The whole-body vibration occurs in many occupational activities, promoting discomfort in the working environment and inducing a variety of psycho – physical changes where consequences as a permanent dysfunction of certain parts of the organism may occur. The main goal of this short systematic review is finding the articles with the most reliable results relating whole-body vibrations to buses and, to compare them with the results of drivers’ lower limbs musculoskeletal disease which occurs as a consequence of many year exposure. PRISMA Statement Methodology was used and thereby 27 Scientific Journals and 25 Index - Database were searched through where 3996 works were found, of which 24 were included in this paper. As a leading standard for analysis of the whole-body vibration the ISO 2631 – 1 is used, while in some papers as an additional standard the ISO 2631-5 is also used for the sake of better understanding the vibrations. Furthermore, the European Directive 2002/44 / EC is included where a daily action exposure to the whole-body vibrations is exactly deter-mined. All the results presented in the paper were compared with the aforesaid standards. After having searched the databases, papers that deal with research of the impact of the vibration on the driver’s lower limbs did not contain any information’s on the described problem.

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The acute effects of different training loads of whole body vibration on flexibility and explosive strength of lower limbs in divers

Biology of Sport ◽

10.5604/20831862.1163373 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 235-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

George Dallas ◽

Giorgos Paradisis ◽

Paschalis Kirialanis ◽

Vassilis Mellos ◽

Polikseni Argitaki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Whole Body ◽

Acute Effects ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Explosive Strength

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The effects of whole body vibration on EMG activity of the upper extremity muscles in static modified push up position

Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation ◽

10.3233/bmr-160657 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 557-563 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zinat Ashnagar ◽

Azadeh Shadmehr ◽

Mohammadreza Hadian ◽

Saeed Talebian ◽

Shohreh Jalaei

Keyword(s):

Upper Extremity ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Whole Body ◽

Emg Activity ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Push Up

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Effects of seated posture on erector spinae EMG activity during whole body vibration

Ergonomics ◽

10.1080/00140139308967928 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 667-675 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

CHRIS L. ZIMMERMANN ◽

THOMAS M. COOK ◽

VIJAY K. GOEL

Keyword(s):

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Erector Spinae ◽

Whole Body ◽

Emg Activity ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Seated Posture

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Weight Bearing Through Lower Limbs in a Standing Frame with and Without Arm Support and Low-Magnitude Whole-Body Vibration in Men and Women with Complete Motor Paraplegia

American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation ◽

10.1097/phm.0b013e31824aab03 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. 300-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kathie A. Bernhardt ◽

Lisa A. Beck ◽

Jeffry L. Lamb ◽

Kenton R. Kaufman ◽

Shreyasee Amin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Bearing ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Whole Body ◽

Men And Women ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Arm Support ◽

Low Magnitude

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Whole-body vibration alters blood flow velocity and neuromuscular activity in Friedreich’s ataxia

Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging ◽

10.1111/j.1475-097x.2010.00992.x ◽

2010 ◽

pp. no-no ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Azael J. Herrero ◽

Juan Martín ◽

Teresa Martín ◽

David García-López ◽

Nuria Garatachea ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Flow Velocity ◽

Blood Flow Velocity ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Friedreich’S Ataxia ◽

Friedreich's Ataxia ◽

Whole Body ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Neuromuscular Activity

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Effects of Whole-Body Vibration-Assisted Training on Lower Limb Blood Flow in Children With Myelomeningocele

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology ◽

10.3389/fbioe.2021.601747 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Andrzej Szopa ◽

Małgorzata Domagalska-Szopa ◽

Andrzej Siwiec ◽

Ilona Kwiecień-Czerwieniec

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Range Of Motion ◽

Lower Limb ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Functional Mobility ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Whole Body ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Tibial Arteries

This study investigated the effectiveness of whole-body vibration (WBV) training incorporated into a conventional physiotherapy (PT) program (WBV-assisted training) in improving blood flow in the lower limbs and range of motion in the lower limb joints of children with myelomeningocele (MMC). A total of 31 children with MMC (7–15 years old) underwent a 6 weeks treatment program consisting of 2 weeks of conventional PT followed by 4 weeks of WBV-assisted training. The assessment comprised two parts: evaluation of lower limb joint range of motion and Doppler ultrasonography of the superficial femoral, popliteal, and anterior tibial arteries and was performed three times for each of the participants (at baseline, after 10 sessions of PT but before WBV-assisted training, and after 20 sessions of WBV-assisted training). Our results showed that WBV-assisted training significantly improved lower limb circulation in patients with MMC, increasing velocity and reducing resistivity in all tested arteries. Moreover, WBV-assisted training alleviated lower-extremity contractures, especially of the knee. Thus, WBV-assisted training is effective as an adjunctive rehabilitation program for improving functional mobility in children with MMC.

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