Whole-body vibration (WBV) has been shown to be effective for increasing lower-body power; however, the combination of frequency, displacement, and duration that elicits the best acute response has yet to be determined. The purpose of this study was to identify the protocol eliciting the greatest improvement in power after an acute bout of WBV. Forty men and women participated in this study, in which 8 different combinations of 30, 35, 40, and 50 Hz with 2-mm and 5-mm displacements were tested over 3 days. For all protocols, randomized to reduce potential order effects, subjects underwent 30 seconds of WBV while holding an isometric squat at a knee angle of 2.27 rad. Power was assessed by countermovement jumps. Subjects performed 3 jumps before WBV, immediately afterward, and 1, 5, and 10 minutes later. The highest normalized peak power (nPP) at each time point was determined using a 4 (frequency) x 2 (displacement) x 5 (time) repeated-measures analysis of variance. Significant effects were seen for frequency (p < or = 0.026) and time (p < or = .0001). Post hoc analyses revealed that the 30-Hz condition (1.010 +/- 0.003) produced a higher nPP than 35 Hz (1.00 +/- 0.003, p < or = 0.026) and 40 Hz (1.002 +/- 0.002, p < or = 0.028) but not 50 Hz (1.004 +/- .002). We also found a significantly higher nPP for the 1-minute post-treatment time point (1.011 +/- .0003) vs. all other time points (p < or = 0.006). Our data show that an acute WBV bout can significantly increase power output at 1 minute post-treatment across all frequencies and displacements, although 30 Hz appears to have a greater effect on power output than either 35 Hz or 40 Hz, but not 50 Hz, at all post-treatment time points.
OBJECTIVES
To describe a quick, modified measure of total body rotation with performance rankings for elderly persons and to highlight the importance of total body rotational ability for overall physical performance.
DESIGN
Scores were collected during the same testing session and were compared with other measures using a Pearson correlation.
SETTING
Community-based senior centers.
PARTICIPANTS
One hundred forty-five participants aged 79.6 ± 7.2 were recruited using flyers distributed at health fairs, senior centers, and lifelong learning programs.
MEASUREMENTS
The modified total body rotation test (MTBR), the back-scratch test, the modified sit-and-reach test, the 30-second chair-stand test, the Short Physical Performance Battery, and the short version of the Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance Test.
RESULTS
The MBTR significantly correlated to all standard measures of physical performance. Norms are reported for all participants, and reliability analyses were conducted using data from 18 participants. Data were divided into quintiles to create cutoffs for physical performance rankings that can be used when reporting results to the general public.
CONCLUSION
Many evaluations measure isolated components of physical performance, but few examine whole body movements that allow all components necessary for independence and function to work in harmony as needed considering the task and the individual’s movement strategy. The current study offers the MTBR as a quick, easy, and cost-effective evaluation method to quantify the degree of impairment or injury and the rate of improvement with treatment or training.
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