Vibration platforms are becoming a mainstream gym machine. Previously used in physical therapy and elite athlete training centers, they now give everyday exercisers gains in performance after use. As with all gym equipment, it's important to learn to use it properly, from a certified trainer or licensed orthopedic professional. Expect to take several sessions to find the right combination of frequency and displacement for optimal results.
Technology
Normal human muscle reflexes are at a frequency of around 25 to 40 Hz. Think of when the doctor taps your knee for a tendon reflex. Vibration platforms are designed to work at the same frequencies, so they will elicit a response from muscle fibers. According to a study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports and Exercise, researchers at Institute for Physical Education and Sport, Israel found the high-frequency motion triggers capillaries to open and thus increases blood flow to those muscle groups.
Peer Review Publications
The WAVE, a company based in Canada, lists many research papers on its website resources. Another manufacturer, Power Plate also contains a research library link. PubMed Central is the National Institutes of Health website, and contains a search box on its home page. It's important to distinguish peer-reviewed, published journal studies from marketing claims. Not all research relates directly to improving athletic performance; the machines have uses in orthopedic rehabilitation and soft-tissue healing.
Rehab
Physical therapists use vibration training to speed recovery by stimulating nerves and rebuilding capillary networks in soft tissue. Spanish researchers at the University of Extremadura studied the use of vibration machines in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. They found that for post-menopausal women, using the machines was more effective than walking in retaining and increasing bone mineral density.
Athletic Performance
Plyometric movements, such as jumping and quickly changing direction in a game, see improvement from performing resistance training exercises on a vibration platform. Likewise, many strength exercises show improved results. According to research at the Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics Laboratory, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Department of Kinesiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, female athletes increased their leg strength when performing knee extensions on a vibration machine.
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