Whole body vibration training: what’s the lowdown on bone health?

Posted by Liz on Aug 15, 2011 in bone health | 2 comments

Back in 2009, I wrote a post about the positive effect that whole body vibration training might have on body composition. Now, researchers are suggesting that it may actually affect bone health in a beneficial way.  Who would have thunk it?

If you don’t know what I’m referring to, whole body vibration training utilizes a vibration platform  for a number of theoretical benefits ranging from weight loss and rehabilitation for muscles to improved balance However, it is also promoted a low-impact alternative to drugs and other therapies to counteract bone loss associated with aging. The concept itself is a bit strange; a person stands, feet shoulder length apart , knees locked and hands to their sides on a vibrating platform producing between.3g’s and 1.1g’s (28Hz-60Hz) of vibration for up to 30 minutes a day (the maximum recommended vibration exposure without adverse effects). That’s it. No cardio, no weight training, no nothing. Just a whole lotta vibration.

So, does it or doesn’t it?

According to a study in the Journal of Osteoporosis, just 20 minutes of intermittent vibration (one minute on, one minuter rest) at low frequency, low magnitude strength (i.e. 12 Hz) resulted in significant and clinically meaningful declines in a primary marker for bone resorption (when bone cells break down bone). In this study, 46 postmenopausal women received vibration once or three times weekly over eight weeks compared to sham vibration (minimal, continuous vibration) once weekly. Of note, a third had already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, osteoporotic fractures or osteopenia, and 41%, with osteoarthritis. In other words, two thirds of these women already had issues with bone health.

The findings?

For the first time, whole body vibration training was shown to benefit bone health. In fact, the primary marker for bone resorption was reduced by 34.6% in women who had vibration therapy three times a week compared to women who had the sham vibration, which researchers say is clinically meaningful. The key was training at least three times week with high frequency, low magnitude vibration whereas training only one day a week only had minimal benefit.

Importantly, this decline is also significant when compared to a 25% reduction in markers of bone resorption in women with osteoporosis/oteopenia who take medication and regularly walk.

Information is still needed on factors like the duration of vibration training, if more or less would suffice and if benefits can actually be maintained over time. It’s also unclear if gender, nutritional or hormone status or use of medications affects the value of vibration training. Still, the results are pretty encouraging.

Positive vibrations? Yeah, you bet!