Biomechanics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Biomechanics, including details on mechanics of living organisms, movement, locomotion, prosthetic limbs.

Gastrocnemius medialis and vastus lateralis oxygenation during whole-body vibration exercise.

Cardinale M, Ferrari M, Quaresima V

Olympic Medical Institute, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, United Kingdom. Marco.Cardinale@boa.org.uk

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different whole-body vibration (WBV) frequencies on oxygenation of vastus lateralis (VL) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscles during static squatting in sedentary and physically active healthy males. METHODS: Twenty volunteers (age: 24.6 +/- 2.9 yr; body mass: 80.6 +/- 11.8 kg; height: 178.1 +/- 7.6 cm) participated in this study. Ten subjects were sedentary individuals and 10 were athletes practicing different sports. All subjects completed four trials (control, and 30-, 40-, and 50-Hz WBV) in a randomized controlled crossover design. The trials consisted of static squatting on a vibrating platform for a total duration of 110 s. Muscle-oxygenation status was recorded with near-infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS: The data analysis revealed no significant treatment-by-time interactions in tissue-oxygenation index (TOI) or Delta total hemoglobin volume (tHb) in VL and GM muscles. A significant main effect of time in TOI of both VL and GM muscles was identified (P<0.001). VL TOI significantly decreased by 2.8% at 90 s in the control condition and by 3.3% at 110 s in the 30-Hz condition; VL TOI significantly increased by 2.1 and 3.0% at 30 s in the 40- and 50-Hz conditions, respectively. GM TOI significantly decreased by 3.2% at 60 s, by 4.1% at 90 s, and by 4.3% at 110 s in the control condition, and by 5.5% at 110 s in the 30-Hz condition. CONCLUSION: This study showed that WBV exercise with frequencies of 30, 40, and 50 Hz and small amplitudes does not affect muscle oxygenation of VL and GM muscles to a higher degree than a nonvibration condition.

Published 6 April 2007 in Med Sci Sports Exerc, 39(4): 694-700.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Biomechanics Research Today. All Rights Reserved.