Whole Body Vibration and Bone Mass.Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration Research Paper

Whole Body Vibration and Bone Mass.Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise On Lower-Extremity Muscle Strength - Research Paper Example Method: Randomised controlled trial involving 16 elderly women, randomised into experimental group (n=8) and control group (n=8) based on strict inclusion criteria. They were exposed to whole body vibration on a vibrating platform for 24 sessions 3 times a week. On the vibrating platform, both the groups performed two dynamic exercises and one static exercise, and the frequency of vibration was progressively increased in the exercise group to 20-32 Hz while the control group always received 10 Hz. The outcome measures were serum PTH, calcium, phosphate, and beta crosslap along with anthropometry and a 30-second chair test. Results: The serum PTH concentration increased significantly in the experimental group by 44.3%, but the responses of blood calcium, phosphate, and beta-cross lap had no significantly demonstrable change. In both the groups, the 30-second chair test showed significant changes in the strength level of both the groups with considerable change in the experimental group. Anthropometric data demonstrated usefulness of training in the experimental group. Critique: The details of the power calculation have not been given, and given the small size of samples in each group, the reader have a chance to doubt the reliability and validity of the data collected. The exclusion criteria given tend to exclude any other confounding factors that may influence PTH, calcium, phosphate, or vitamin D metabolism.... The exercise regimens and workup schedule also indicate involvement of all the muscle groups. The details of the WBV training sessions had been given in separate tables, and the results have been discussed. Appropriate statistical analysis has been undertaken with complementary pre-post test analysis of physical condition and anthropometry with statistically significant changes demonstrated through increase in PTH levels. The effects lesser intensity WBV had no significant effects, although there were no increases in circulating calcium or phosphate levels. It can be argued that this study could have determined the time variations in calcium and phosphate levels with the changes in the PTH levels, but the design did not incorporate that. As a result, it is not possible to say whether these changes in PTH could at all lead to bone mineralisation. The authors admit that as a limitation of this study that this study could not determine whether the rise in PTH level with WBV could achiev e its main objective of accomplishing improvement in bone mineralisation. The rise in PTH may also lead to increase rate of bone demineralisation, but concurrent estimation of pro-collagen I levels do not show bone degradation. The small sample size poses another limitation, which confounds the effects of exercise in improving the strength of the muscles; however, despite these limitations, this study reveals the positive effects of WBV in bone mineralisation in the elderly population (Martna et al., 2009, 1-6). 2. Effects of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Lower-Extremity Muscle Strength and Power in an Older Population: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Rees, SS., Murphy, AJ., Watsford, ML., (2008). Aim: To investigate the effects of vibration exercises on