The acute effects of two different whole body vibration frequencies on vertical jump performance

Aim. Vibration exercise is a novel exercise intervention, which is applied in athletes and general populations with the aim of improving strength and power performance. The present study was aimed to analyse the adaptive responses to different whole body vibration frequencies. Methods. Fifteen untrained subjects were randomly assigned to a 5 min whole body vibration (WBV) training session on a vibrating plate producing sinusoidal oscillations at 20 Hz (low frequency) and 40 Hz (high frequency) with constant amplitude. Squat jump, countermovement jump and sit and reach test were administered before and after the WBV treatment. Results. Low frequency WBV stimulation was shown to significantly increase hamstrings’ flexibility by 10.1% (p<0.001) and squat jump by 4% (p<0.05). High frequency (40 Hz) of WBV stimulation determined a significant decrease in squat jump (-3.8%; p<0.05) and in counter movement jump (-3.6; p<0.001). Conclusion. The results showed the influence of WBV frequency on acute adaptive responses. In particular, the untrained subjects in the presented study, showed acute enhancement in neuromuscular performance with low-frequency WBV stimulation.