Effects of whole body vibration exercise combined with weighted vest in older adults: A randomized controlled trial

Background: To evaluate the training effects of whole body vibration (WBV) combined with weighted vest (WV) in older adults. Methods: This randomized controlled trial study was conducted in healthy older adults living in the community. Fifty-one participants were randomly allocated into 3 groups: group 1 (n = 17), WBV alone, training on WBV at a frequency 30 Hz, amplitude 2 mm, 10 sets of 1 min squats, with 60 s rest, group 2 (n = 15), WV alone, squat exercise, 10 sets of 1 min, with 60 s rest, while WV loaded with 10% body weight and group 3 (n = 19), WBV + WV, combining WBV exercise with the addition of a WV. All groups completed training 3 times per week for 8 weeks. The outcomes were total muscle mass, muscle thickness, maximal isometric strength, single-leg-stance and timed-up-and-go evaluated at baseline and after training. Results: As a result of training all groups improved their isometric muscle strength with little difference between groups. The single-leg-stance significantly improved only in WBV + WV group 25.1 ± 10.8 s (mean ± 95% CI, p <  0.01). The timed-up-and-go improved in all groups, but the improvement was significantly greater in the WBV + WV group (17.5 ± 6.9%) compared to the WV (8.5 ± 3.2%) and WBV groups (9.2 ± 5.4%, p = 0.043, 0.023 respectively). Rectus femoris muscle thickness and total muscle mass were significantly increased in all groups equally with little difference between groups. Conclusion: The combined WBV + WV had a greater effect on the single-leg-stance and the timed-up-and-go compared to WV or WBV alone. Trial registration: TCTR20190306001. Thai Clinical Trials Registry (www.thaiclinicaltrials.org). Date of registration: 6 March 2019

Effects of low-load resistance training combined with blood flow restriction or hypoxia on muscle function and performance in netball athletes

Objectives To investigate the effect of blood flow restriction or normobaric hypoxic exposure combined with low-load resistant exercise (LRE), on muscular strength and endurance. Design A randomised controlled trial. Methods Well-trained netball players (n = 30) took part in a 5 weeks training of knee flexor and extensor muscles in which LRE (20% of one repetition maximum) was combined with (1) an occlusion pressure of approximately 230 mmHg around the upper thigh (KT, n = 10), (2) hypoxic air to generate blood oxyhaemoglobin levels of approximately 80% (HT, n = 10) or (3) with no additional stimulus (CT, n = 10). The training was of the same intensity and amount in all groups. One to five days before and after training, participants performed a series of strength and endurance tests of the lower limbs (3-s maximal voluntary contraction [MVC₃], area under 30-s force curve [MVC₃₀], number of repetitions at 20% 1RM [Reps201RM]). In addition, the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadriceps and hamstrings were measured. Results Relative to CT, KT and HT increased MVC₃ (11.0 ± 11.9% and 15.0 ± 13.1%), MVC₃₀ (10.2 ± 9.0% and 18.3 ± 17.4%) and Reps201RM (28.9 ± 23.7% and 23.3 ± 24.0%, mean ± 90% confidence interval) after training. CSA increased by 6.6 ± 4.5%, 6.1 ± 5.1% and 2.9 ± 2.7% in the KT, HT and CT groups respectively. Conclusions LRE in conjunction with KT or HT can provide substantial improvements in muscle strength and endurance and may be useful alternatives to traditional training practices

Effects of elastic tape in pregnant women with low back pain: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a common problem in pregnant woman. Elastic tape is an alternative method that may reduce low back pain. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of elastic tape to placebo tape in the treatment of low back pain in pregnant women. METHODS: Forty pregnant women were allocated into two groups: elastic group (n= 20) and placebo group (n= 20). All participants were taped by either stretched (elastic group) or non-stretched (placebo group) Kinesio tape at the lower back area for one week. RESULTS: After the application of stretched elastic tape, lower back pain was significantly reduced by 29.4% (p= 0.003) immediately post-taping and by a further 75.4% after wearing the tape for a week. Compared to the placebo group, lower back pain was significantly reduced in the elastic group after one week of wearing the tape (p< 0.001). Compared to placebo, the application of elastic tape significantly reduced the disability score (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) after one week of wearing the tape (p= 0.018). Taping to the back improved walking speed (immediately and after one week) in both the elastic (p< 0.001, p< 0.001) and placebo groups (p<0.001, p= 0.001); however, the application of either tape had little effect on posture change. CONCLUSION: Elastic tape reduced back pain and improved physical function in pregnant women compared to the placebo tape

Effects of Zingiber cassumunar (Plai cream) in the treatment of delayed onset muscle soreness

Objective To evaluate the effects of Zingiber cassumunar (Plai cream) in either 7% or 14% concentration on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Methods Seventy-five untrained healthy volunteers (28 males and 47 females), performed 4 sets of 25 eccentric repetitions of the dominant quadriceps muscle on an isokinetic dynamometry machine. Participants were then randomized into 3 groups: 14% Plai cream, 7% Plai cream and placebo cream. Two grams of the cream (strips of 5-cm long) were gently rubbed into the quadriceps muscles for 5 min immediately following the exercise and every 8 h thereafter for 7 d in all groups. Muscle soreness, muscle strength, jump height, thigh circumference and creatine kinase were measured before and after eccentric exercise. Results Compared to the placebo cream the 14% Plai cream substantially reduced muscle soreness over the 7 d by -82% (95% CI = -155% to -6%, P = 0.03), but had similar muscle soreness effects to 7% Plai cream (-34%, -96% to 27%, P = 0.2). Compared to the placebo cream the 7% Plai cream resulted in a small non-significant reduction in muscle soreness levels over the following 7 d (-40%, -116% to 36%, P = 0.3). Compared to placebo cream there was little effect of Plai cream (7% or 14%) on muscle strength, jump height, thigh circumference or creatine kinase concentration. Conclusion Using 14% Plai cream over a 7-day period substantially reduced muscle soreness symptoms compared to 7% Plai cream or a placebo cream. The authors suggest that the administration of 14% Plai cream is a useful alternative in the management of DOMS

Effect of whole-body vibration therapy on performance recovery

Purpose: To compare whole-body vibration (WBV) with traditional recovery protocols after a high-intensity training bout. Methods: In a randomized crossover study, 16 athletes performed 6 × 30-s Wingate sprints before completing either an active recovery (10 min of cycling and stretching) or WBV for 10 min in a series of exercises on a vibration platform. Muscle hemodynamics (assessed via near-infrared spectroscopy) were measured before and during exercise and into the 10-min recovery period. Blood lactate concentration, vertical jump, quadriceps strength, flexibility, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), muscle soreness, and performance during a single 30-s Wingate test were assessed at baseline and 30 and 60 min postexercise. A subset of participants (n = 6) completed a 3rd identical trial (1 wk later) using a passive 10-min recovery period (sitting). Results: There were no clear effects between the recovery protocols for blood lactate concentration, quadriceps strength, jump height, flexibility, RPE, muscle soreness, or single Wingate performance across all measured recovery time points. However, the WBV recovery protocol substantially increased the tissue-oxygenation index compared with the active (11.2% ± 2.4% [mean ± 95% CI], effect size [ES] = 3.1, and -7.3% ± 4.1%, ES = -2.1 for the 10 min postexercise and postrecovery, respectively) and passive recovery conditions (4.1% ± 2.2%, ES = 1.3, 10 min postexercise only). Conclusion: Although WBV during recovery increased muscle oxygenation, it had little effect in improving subsequent performance compared with a normal active recovery

Living and training at 825 m for 8 weeks supplemented with intermittent hypoxic training at 3,000 m improves blood parameters and running performance

We aimed to investigate the effect of an 8-week low-altitude training block supplemented with intermittent hypoxic training, on blood and performance parameters in soccer players. Forty university-level male soccer players were separated into altitude (n = 20, 825 m) or sea-level (n = 20, 125 m) groups. Before (1–2 days ago) and after (1 and 14 days later) training, players were asked to give a resting venous blood sample and complete a series of performance tests. Compared with sea level, the altitude group increased erythropoietin, red blood cell (RBC) count, and hematocrit 1 day after training (42.6 ± 24.0%, 1.8 ± 1.3%, 1.4 ± 1.1%, mean ± 95% confidence limits (CL), respectively). By 14 days after training, only RBC count and hemoglobin were substantially higher in the altitude compared with the sea-level group (3.2 ± 1.8%, 2.9 ± 2.1% respectively). Compared with sea level, the altitude group 1–2 days after training improved their 50-m (22.9 ± 1.4%) and 2,800-m (22.9 ± 4.4%) run times and demonstrated a higher maximal aerobic speed (4.7 ± 7.4%). These performance changes remained at 14 days after training with the addition of a likely higher estimated VO2max in the altitude compared with the sea-level group (3.2 ± 3.0%). Eight weeks of low-altitude training, supplemented with regular bouts of intermittent hypoxic training at higher altitude, produced beneficial performance improvements in team-sport athletes, which may increase the viability of such training to coaches and players that cannot access more traditional high altitude venues

Optimal degree of hypoxia combined with low-load resistance training for muscle strength and thickness in athletes

The benefit of resistance training under hypoxic conditions continues to draw considerable debate. This research explored the optimal degree of hypoxia combined with low-load resistance training which mimics the high-load traditional resistance training under normoxic condition. Thirty-seven male team sport athletes were divided into 3 resistance training groups; 1) normoxic high-load (NRT), 2) hypoxic low-load (HRT13.6, FiO₂ = 13.6%), and 3) hypoxic low-load (HRT15.8, FiO₂ = 15.8%). Training included 3 sets of 15 reps at either 80%1RM (high-load) or 50%1RM (low-load), 3 days per week. Muscle thickness (via ultrasonography) along with strength and muscular endurance were measured pre (1-2 days prior) and post (2-3 days post) a 5-week training period. Rectus femoris muscle thickness significantly increased in all groups, but was greater in the HRT13.6 group (18.3 ± 7.6%, mean ± SD) compared to the NRT group (9.1 ± 7.3%, p = 0.02). Similarly, muscle strength increased in all groups, but the HRT13.6 group showed a significantly larger improvement in isometric knee extension MVC (33.5 ± 12.7%) compared to the NRT group (19.8 ± 6.5%, p = 0.04). Finally, rectus femoris fat layer thickness was significantly reduced after training, particularly in the HRT13.6 group (-55.8 ± 5.5%) compared to NRT (-32.8 ± 9.6%, p = 0.01) and HRT15.8 groups (-38.2 ± 12.5%, p = 0.01). Low-load resistance training particularly in 13.6% oxygen, produced more muscle thickness, fat loss, and bigger strength gains compared to traditional high-load resistance training. This training strategy may be a useful alternative to traditional high-load resistance training

Hypoxic training improves blood pressure, nitric oxide and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha in hypertensive patients

Purpose: To examine the effects of intermittent hypoxic breathing at rest (IHR) or during exercise (IHT) on blood pressure and nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha levels (HIF-1α) over a 6-week period. Methods: 47 hypertensive patients were randomly allocated to three groups: hypertensive control (CON: n = 17; IHR: n = 15 and IHT: n = 15. The CON received no intervention; whereas, IH groups received eight events of hypoxia (FIO2 0.14), and normoxia (FIO2 0.21), 24-min hypoxia and 24-min normoxia, for 6 weeks. The baseline data were collected 2 days before the intervention; while, the post-test data were collected at days 2 and 28 after the 6-week intervention. Results: We observed a significant decrease of the SBP in both IH groups: IHR (− 12.0 ± 8.0 mmHg, p = 0.004 and − 9.9 ± 8.8 mmHg, p = 0.028, mean ± 95% CI) and IHT (− 13.0 ± 7.8 mmHg, p = 0.002 and − 10.0 ± 8.4 mmHg, p = 0.016) at days 2 and 28 post-intervention, respectively. Compared to CON, IHR and IHT had increased of NOx (IHR; 8.5 ± 7.6 μmol/L, p = 0.031 and IHT; 20.0 ± 9.1 μmol/L, p < 0.001) and HIF-1α (IHR; 170.0 ± 100.0 pg/mL, p = 0.002 and IHT; 340.5 ± 160.0 pg/mL, p < 0.001). At 2 days post-intervention, NOx and HIF-1α were negatively correlated with SBP in IHT. Conclusion: IH programs may act as an alternative therapeutic strategy for hypertension patients probably through elevation of NOx and HIF-1α production