Can whole body vibration exercises affect growth hormone concentration? A systematic review.

Whole body vibration (WBV) has been recognized as an effective alternative exercise modality to resistance exercise for its ability in enhancing force and power, generating capacity in skeletal muscle, increasing bone mass and improving cardiovascular function. Since the effect of WBV exercises on growth hormone (GH) levels has been never compared and discussed, the aim of this study was to review systematically the literature to verify the WBV effects on GH concentration. By using PubMed, Scopus and PEDRo databases with the keywords 'growth hormone' or GH and 'whole body vibration' or WBV, we found and analysed 12 papers (182 subjects recruited), verifying their level of evidence (National Health and Medical Research Council hierarchy of evidence) and the methodological quality (PEDRo scale). Although WBV induced GH responses in nine out of 12 publications, caution should be however taken when considering the results due to the markedly different methodologies among these publications.

Whole-Body Vibration Training on Oxidative Stress Markers, Irisin Levels, and Body Composition in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

(1) Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction and redox imbalance seem to be involved in fibromyalgia (FM) pathogenesis. The results of our previous studies suggest that whole-body vibration training (WBVT) would improve redox status markers, increase blood irisin levels, and ameliorate the body composition of women with FM. (2) Objective: The current study aimed to investigate WBVT on oxidative stress markers, plasma irisin levels, and body composition in women with FM. (3) Methods: Forty women with FM were randomized into WBVT or untrained (UN) groups. Before and after 6 weeks of WBVT, body composition was assessed by dual-energy radiological absorptiometry (DXA), and inflammatory marker activities were measured by enzymatic assay. (4) Results: Body composition, blood irisin levels, and oxidative stress markers were similar between UN and WBVT groups before the intervention. After 6 weeks of intervention, the WBVT group presented higher irisin levels (WBVT: 316.98 ± 109.24 mg·dL³, WBVT: 477.61 ± 267.92 mg·dL³, p = 0.01) and lower TBARS levels (UN: 0.39 ± 0.02 nmol MDA/mg protein, WBVT: 0.24 ± 0.06 nmol MDA/mg protein, p = 0.001) and visceral adipose tissue mass (UN: 1.37 ± 0.49 kg, WBVT: 0.69 ± 0.54 kg, p = 0.001) compared to the UN group. (5) Conclusions: Six weeks of WBVT improves blood redox status markers, increases irisin levels, and reduces visceral adipose tissue mass, favoring less cell damage and more outstanding oxidative balance in women with FM.

Effects of whole-body vibration exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical condition that promotes a decline in the overall health status of individuals affected, including parameters physical, functional, and psychosocial. This systematic review was conducted to assess effects of whole-body vibration exercise (WBVE) in individuals with CKD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was conducted electronic searches in Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science databases on May 2021. Records were identified and irrelevant studies were excluded based in eligibility criteria. RESULTS: Five studies were included with a mean methodological quality score of 9, considered high quality in PEDRo scale. The studies have shown that the WBVE intervention, when applied low intensity was well tolerated, and no adverse effects; was able to improve the motor performance and strength in frail people, which could benefit the prevention of falls events. However, did not improve the quality of life, and the heart rate variability; and not altered cardiorespiratory parameters. CONCLUSIONS: WBVE intervention promotes a better response in parameters of the motor performance and muscular strength, and interaction bone-muscle. Nevertheless, more studies are needed with this intervention to improve physiological responses, and to understand your recommendation to prevent and reduce the complications and symptoms of the CKD, promoting an active life to these patients. PROTOCOL STUDY REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42020203295).IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical condition that promotes a decline in the overall health status of individuals affected, including parameters physical, functional, and psychosocial.WBVE program possibility, of good acceptance, efficient as well tolerated by physically deconditioned patients who present difficulty to perform any type of exercise.WBVE protocol can promote changes in the patient with CKD lifestyle and benefits for this population because is an exercise without fatigue, impact, stress, or discomfort.

Use of surface electromyography to evaluate effects of whole-body vibration exercises on neuromuscular activation and muscle strength in the elderly: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Reduction of muscle strength and lean mass, increase in the risk of falls, higher mortality, and morbidity are observed in geriatric syndromes. Physical activity is an effective intervention in reducing signs and symptoms of geriatric syndromes. Whole-body vibration exercise (WBVE) is an intervention with low cost and has been effective. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of this systematic review aimed to determine the effects of WBVE on neuromuscular activation and muscle strength in the elderly. Searches in PubMed, Embase, Science direct, and Scopus databases were conducted. Six studies, that analyzed the use of surface electromyography evaluating effects of WBVE on neuromuscular activation and muscle strength in the elderly, published in English, were included. RESULTS: Six studies were included. One hundred forty-six individuals participated in the studies and 24 were males (16.43%), with an average age of 74.20 ± 7.66 years. Five publications were defined as "fair" methodological in the PEDro scale, the risk of bias was high and the risk of bias for non-randomized studies was moderate/high. In general, increased strength muscle was reported in the studies. CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests that WBVE might promote desirable neuromuscular responses in healthy elderly. However, it is necessary to perform further studies to reinforce the reported findings.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe reduction in lean mass and consequent reduction in muscle strength are present in healthy elderly people and the whole-body vibration exercise can reduce or alleviate these symptoms caused by the geriatric syndrome.Whole-body vibration exercise is a training modality that increases neuromuscular activation and muscle strength.Surface electromyography is a useful tool for the evaluation of the neuromuscular activation of the muscle fibers.

The Brazilian version of the Hip Sports Activity Scale: translation and cross-cultural adaptation.

BACKGROUND: The Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) is a reliable and valid tool for determining the levels of sports activities among patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). OBJECTIVE: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the HSAS to the Brazilian Portuguese language. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: The Brazilian version of the HSAS was developed following a process that comprised six steps: translation, synthesis, back-translation, review by committee, pretesting and submission of documentation to the developers. The translation phase involved three independent bilingual translators whose mother language was Brazilian Portuguese. The back-translation phase involved three independent translators whose mother language was English. In order to verify comprehension of the questionnaire, 30 undergraduate students in physical education (65% men), with mean age 23.2 years (standard deviation = 6.8), participated in the pre-testing phase. RESULTS: During the translation step, some terms and expressions were changed to obtain cultural equivalence to the original HSAS. In the pre-testing phase, each item of the scale showed a comprehension level of 100%. CONCLUSION: The HSAS was translated from English to the Brazilian Portuguese language and adapted to Brazilian culture. The HSAS validation is ongoing.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) for patients with femoroacetabular impingement: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) is a hip-specific instrument for assessing the present levels of physical activity among patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. When evaluating treatment outcomes in patients with FAI syndrome, it is necessary to use joint-specific instruments and ones that can evaluate the levels of physical activity in these patients, such as the HSAS-Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To validate the HSAS-Brazil among a group of physically active patients after arthroscopic treatment of FAI syndrome. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional research of quantitative and qualitative types using data obtained from July 2018 to October 2019. METHODS: A total of 58 patients of both genders diagnosed with FAI syndrome and who had undergone hip arthroscopy participated in this research. To establish reliability and validity, patients first answered the Brazilian versions of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and HSAS; after a 48-hour interval, they answered the HSAS-Brazil again. RESULTS: For test-retest reliability, the interclass correlation was 0.908 (P < 0.001). The HSAS-Brazil correlated to the NAHS-Brazil (r = 0.63, P < 0.001), as well as the SF-12 (Physical Health) (r = 0.42, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The HSAS-Brazil was validated and proved to be a reliable and valid scale to assess sports activity levels in physically active patients with FAI syndrome after arthroscopic treatment.

Inflammatory Biomarker Responses to Whole-Body Vibration in Subjects with Different Clinical Status: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is considered to be a vital defense mechanism for health, acting as a protective response of the immune system through a satisfactory inflammatory biomarker response (IBR). IBR, as well as being beneficial to the organism, can be also responsible for a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases. Whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise is a type of physical exercise that can act on inflammation responses due its capacity for stimulating the sensory components that promote systemic responses. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of WBV on IBR in different clinical status. METHODS: This is a systematic review that includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of WBV exercise on IBR. The methodological quality, risk of bias, and level of evidence were rated. RESULTS: Four RCTs met the selection criteria. The studies showed benefits associated with IBR (e.g., cytokines, adipokines, and C-reactive protein) in various clinical conditions, including healthy populations and some chronic diseases (such as obesity, aging disorders, and knee osteoarthritis), using several WBV protocols. CONCLUSIONS: WBV might be useful in the management of inflammatory conditions.

Whole-body vibration mediates mechanical hypersensitivity through Aß-fiber and C-fiber thermal sensation in a chronic pain model.

Whole-body vibration (WBV), which is widely used as a type of exercise, involves the use of vibratory stimuli and it is used for rehabilitation and sports performance programmes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of WBV treatment in a chronic pain model after 10 WBV sessions. An animal model (chronic pain) was applied in 60 male Wistar rats (±180 g, 12 weeks old) and the animals were treated with low intensity exercise (treadmill), WBV (vibrating platform), and a combined treatment involving both. The controls on the platform were set to a frequency of 42 Hz with 2 mm peak-to-peak displacement, g ≈ 7, in a spiral mode. Before and after the vibration exposure, sensitivity was determined. Aß-fibers-mediated mechanical sensitivity thresholds (touch-pressure) were measured using a pressure meter. C-fibers-mediated thermal perception thresholds (hot pain) were measured with a hot plate. After each session, WBV influenced the discharge of skin touch-pressure receptors, reducing mechanical sensitivity in the WBV groups (P < 0.05). Comparing the conditions "before vs. after", thermal perception thresholds (hot pain) started to decrease significantly after the third WBV session (P < 0.05). WBV decreases mechanical hyperalgesia after all sessions and thermal sensitivity after the third session with the use of WBV.

Can a Single Trial of a Thoracolumbar Myofascial Release Technique Reduce Pain and Disability in Chronic Low Back Pain? A Randomized Balanced Crossover Study.

Although manual therapy for pain relief has been used as an adjunct in treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is still the belief that a single session of myofascial release would be effective. This study was a crossover clinical trial aimed to investigate whether a single session of a specific myofascial release technique reduces pain and disability in subjects with CLBP. 41 participants over 18 years old were randomly enrolled into 3 situations in a balanced and crossover manner: experimental, placebo, and control. The subjects underwent a single session of myofascial release on thoracolumbar fascia and the results were compared with the control and placebo groups. The outcomes, pain and functionality, were evaluated using the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). There were no effects between-tests, within-tests, nor for interaction of all the outcomes, i.e., NPRS (η 2 = 0.32, F = 0.48, p = 0.61), PPT (η2 = 0.73, F = 2.80, p = 0.06), ODI (η2 = 0.02, F = 0.02, p = 0.97). A single trial of a thoracolumbar myofascial release technique was not enough to reduce pain intensity and disability in subjects with CLBP.

Evaluation of the temperature of posterior lower limbs skin during the whole body vibration measured by infrared thermography: Cross-sectional study analysis using linear mixed effect model.

BACKGROUND: Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) has been shown to improve muscular strength and power, and increase peripheral blood flow. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of the skin temperature (Tsk) on regions of the lower limbs from an acute bout of WBVE. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Cross-sectional study approved by local ethics committee (Certificado de Apresentação para Apreciação Ética-CAAE-19826413.8.0000.5259) and Trial registration (Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos-REBEC-RBR-738wng). Using Infrared thermography (IRT), Tsk and thermal symmetry of the posterior lower extremities (thigh, knee, calf and heel) were examined in 19 healthy participants. IRT was assessed during 60-second WBVE exposures of 0, 30 and 50 Hz. From the adjusted linear mixed effects model, vibration frequency, time and regions of the lower extremity were significant (p<0.001). However, the variable laterality was not significant (p = 0.067) and was excluded from the adjusted statistical model. The adjusted model was significant (p<0.00001) and all variables in the model were significant (p<0.01) indicating that Tsk decreases with time, independently of the vibration frequency. The value of the Pseudo-R-Squared for the model was 0.8376. The presented mathematical model of the current study may be useful to justify the patterns observed for all vibration frequencies between and 0 and 50 Hz. The main limitations of the study were the reduced time of the intervention and not having evaluated other regions of the body. CONCLUSIONS: The acute exposure of 60-second mechanical vibration has effect on the behavior of Tsk of the posterior region of the lower limbs, which is likely to be associated with a decrease on the blood flow due to WBVE. It is speculated that during WBVE a greater supply of blood is required where the body responds by shunting blood flow from the skin to working muscle in the first seconds of exercise. Further investigative work is required to verify this hypothesis.

Validation of the Brazilian version of the Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) for patients with femoroacetabular impingement: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) is a hip-specific instrument for assessing the present levels of physical activity among patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. When evaluating treatment outcomes in patients with FAI syndrome, it is necessary to use joint-specific instruments and ones that can evaluate the levels of physical activity in these patients, such as the HSAS-Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To validate the HSAS-Brazil among a group of physically active patients after arthroscopic treatment of FAI syndrome. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional research of quantitative and qualitative types using data obtained from July 2018 to October 2019. METHODS: A total of 58 patients of both genders diagnosed with FAI syndrome and who had undergone hip arthroscopy participated in this research. To establish reliability and validity, patients first answered the Brazilian versions of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS), and HSAS; after a 48-hour interval, they answered the HSAS-Brazil again. RESULTS: For test-retest reliability, the interclass correlation was 0.908 (P < 0.001). The HSAS-Brazil correlated to the NAHS-Brazil (r = 0.63, P < 0.001), as well as the SF-12 (Physical Health) (r = 0.42, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The HSAS-Brazil was validated and proved to be a reliable and valid scale to assess sports activity levels in physically active patients with FAI syndrome after arthroscopic treatment.

The Brazilian version of the Hip Sports Activity Scale: translation and cross-cultural adaptation

Abstract BACKGROUND: The Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) is a reliable and valid tool for determining the levels of sports activities among patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). OBJECTIVE: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the HSAS to the Brazilian Portuguese language. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: The Brazilian version of the HSAS was developed following a process that comprised six steps: translation, synthesis, back-translation, review by committee, pretesting and submission of documentation to the developers. The translation phase involved three independent bilingual translators whose mother language was Brazilian Portuguese. The back-translation phase involved three independent translators whose mother language was English. In order to verify comprehension of the questionnaire, 30 undergraduate students in physical education (65% men), with mean age 23.2 years (standard deviation = 6.8), participated in the pre-testing phase. RESULTS: During the translation step, some terms and expressions were changed to obtain cultural equivalence to the original HSAS. In the pre-testing phase, each item of the scale showed a comprehension level of 100%. CONCLUSION: The HSAS was translated from English to the Brazilian Portuguese language and adapted to Brazilian culture. The HSAS validation is ongoing.