Acute effects of whole body vibration exercises with various frequencies and amplitudes on arterial stiffness in males
Abstract
Description
In the last two decades, cardiovascular diseases have exponentially increased among the
general populations of the world reaching alarming numbers in most of the countries no matter if
they are considered developed or underdeveloped nations. Cardiovascular diseases are the
number one cause of morbidity and mortality among humans accounting for approximately 17
million deaths or 30% of the total deaths worldwide (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this cardiovascular disease issue will
continue to increase and will be considered to be the cause of more than 30 million deaths
annually by 2030.
According to the American Heart Association most of the cardiovascular diseases are
caused in part due to arteriosclerosis or the hardening of the blood vessels that is a process
caused by the accumulation of plaque on the arterial walls and due to age. Arterial stiffening has
been identified as the earliest sign of arterial damage, becoming important predictor for
cardiovascular diseases and cardiac events. Arterial stiffness can be measured via Pulse Wave
Velocity (PWV) which is a simple, non-invasive method considered the gold standard due to its
reliability and ability to predict cardiovascular diseases (Oliver & Webb, 2003; Vlachopoulos,
Aznaouridis, & Stefanadis, 2010).
Physical activity is a key aspect for the maintenance of cardiovascular health and fitness.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous
physical activity a week, that is, 30-60 minutes of moderate activity 5 days/week.
Physical activity, especially aerobic physical activity has been proven to be effective in reducing
arterial stiffness and the risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Whole body vibration is a recent training modality in which a vibration platform is used
to produce vibrations that travel through the body. This type of training has been tested in sports
settings, clinical and rehabilitation settings as well as aeronautical science. Research in whole
body vibration training has shown to be effective in increasing bone density, increasing muscle
strength, improved blood flow and reduce arterial stiffness (Chanou, Gerodimos, Karatrantou, &
Jamurtas, 2012).
Study Purpose
The purposes of the study were: 1) To examine the acute effects of dynamic whole body
vibration (WBV) training on small and large arterial stiffness; 2) To examine the effects of
different frequency and amplitude protocols in heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood
pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), and stroke volume (SV); 3)
Identify the best WBV protocol to decrease acutely arterial stiffness.
Research Questions
1. Are there any changes in small and large arterial stiffness following a bout of whole body
vibration workout with the different amplitude and frequency?
2. Are there any changes in heart rate (RHR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean
arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO) and stroke volume (SV) following a bout of
whole body vibration workout with the different amplitude and frequency?
3. Which vibration settings would show the best results in decreasing arterial stiffness?
Hypotheses
1. There would be different changes in small and large arterial stiffness when using
different amplitudes and frequencies.
2. Amplitude and frequency would create different changes in HR, SBP, DBP, MAP, CO
and SV after a bout of WBV.
3. Lower frequency in combination with high amplitude would be the best protocol to
decrease arterial stiffness.
PDF; 51 pgs.
PDF; 51 pgs.
Keywords
Vibration--Therapeutic use--Case studies, Vibration--Physiological effect--Case studies, Cardiovascular system--Diseases--Exercise therapy--Case studies, Cardiovascular system--Diseases--Prevention--Case studies, Arteriosclerosis--Exercise therapy--Case studies, Arteriosclerosis--Prevention--Case studies