The acute effect of vibration exercise on concentric muscular characteristics

This study was designed to compare the acute effect of vibration exercise with a concentric-only activity (arm cranking) on concentric-only muscle action using an upper body isoinertial exercise. Twelve healthy, physically active men, 30.0 y ± 6.1 (mean ± S.D.); height 1.81 m ± 0.06; and weight 83.4 kg ± 9.7, performed four maximal prone bench pull (PBP) efforts before and after a 5-min period of three different interventions: (1) acute vibration exercise (VBX); (2) arm cranking (AC); and (3) control (no exercise) (NVBX). Electromyography (EMG) activity was assessed from the middle trapezius muscle during PBP. Acute VBX was induced with an electric-powered dumbbell (DB) (frequency 26 Hz, amplitude 3 mm), with 30-s exposures at five different shoulder positions. NVXB was performed with the participants holding the DB with the machine turned off, and AC was performed at 25 W. There was a significant (intervention × pre-post) interaction such that acute VBX and AC enhanced peak power by 4.8% (p < 0.001) and 3.0% (p < 0.001), respectively, compared to NVBX (−2.7%). However, there was no effect of any treatments on EMG activity compared to the control. In conclusion, acute VBX provides an acute ergogenic effect which potentiates concentric-only muscle performance, though not to a significantly greater extent than concentric (arm cranking) exercise.