The Effects of Local Vibration on Balance, Power, and Self-Reported Pain After Exercise
Context:Muscle fatigue and acute muscle soreness occur after exercise. Application of a local vibration intervention may reduce the consequences of fatigue and soreness.Objective:To examine the effects of a local vibration intervention after a bout of exercise on balance, power, and self-reported pain.Design:Single-blind crossover study.Setting:Laboratory.Participants:19 healthy, moderately active subjects.Interventions:After a 30-min bout of full-body exercise, subjects received either an active or a sham vibration intervention. The active vibration intervention was performed bilaterally over the muscle bellies of the triceps surae, quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals. At least 1 wk later, subjects repeated the bout, receiving the other vibration intervention.Main Outcome Measures:Static balance, dynamic balance, power, and self-reported pain were measured at baseline, after the vibration intervention, and 24 h postexercise.Results:After the bout of exercise, subjects had reduced static and dynamic balance and increased self-reported pain regardless of vibration intervention. There were no differences between outcome measures between the active and sham vibration conditions.Conclusions:The local vibration intervention did not affect balance, power, or self-reported pain.