In this study the effects of electrovibrostimulation training are compared with classical powertraining, in a group of 18-24 years old healthy sportsmen, during the spring season of 2007.  Former studies showed the effectiveness of electrovibrostimulation on the functional condition of muscles: increase of the strength in the active insufficiency zone and increase of the elasticity in the passive insufficiency zone, consequently improving joint strength and mobility. After four weeks of electrovibrostimulation, applied twice a week, significant increases of isometric strength and explosive strength were observed, whereas the flexibility remained the same. Some hypotheses are discussed concerning the possible working mechanisms of electrovibrostimulatio

A. Zinkovsky

Bert Op't Eijnde

I. Verhaegen

I. Zubova

K. Schmidt

Koos Jaap Van Zwieten

P. Lippens

English

Verhaegen, I.

Op't Eijnde, Bert

Zinkovsky, A.

Zubova, I.

Schmidt, K.

Lippens, P.

JVE International

 © VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716  50 320. Electrovibrostimulation During the Training of Sportsmen, an          Experimental Set-up   Koos Jaap Van Zwieten1, Iris Verhaegen1, Bert Op ‘T Eijnde 2, Anatoly Zinkovsky 3, Irina Zubova3, Klaus Schmidt1 and Peter Lippens1 1University of Hasselt, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Human Movement Studies, BioMed Institute, B-3590   Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, phone: + 32 (0)11 26 85 05, fax: + 32 (0)11 26 85 99, e-mail: koosjaap.vanzwieten@uhasselt.be 2Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg, Department of Health Care Sciences, REVAL Research Institute, B-3500 Hasselt,   Guffenslaan 39, phone: + 32 (0)11 29 49 81, fax: + 32 (0)11 29 49 53, e-mail: Bopteijnde@mail.phl.be 3Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnic University, Department of Biomechanics, 195220 Saint-Petersburg, Grashdanski   Prospect 28, phone and fax: + 7 (812) 534 13 64, e-mail: bioval@imop.spbstu.ru  (Received 3  September 2007; accepted 22 October 2007)          Abstract. In this study the effects of electrovibrostimulation training are compared with classical powertraining, in a group of 18-24 years old healthy sportsmen, during the spring season of 2007.  Former studies showed the effectiveness of electrovibrostimulation on the functional condition of muscles: increase of the strength in the active insufficiency zone and increase of the elasticity in the passive insufficiency zone, consequently improving joint strength and mobility. After four weeks of electrovibrostimulation, applied twice a week, significant increases of isometric strength and explosive strength were observed, whereas the flexibility remained the same. Some hypotheses are discussed concerning the possible working mechanisms of electrovibrostimulation.   Keywords: Sportsmen training, whole body vibration, electrovibrostimulation, musculoskeletal apparatus.   Introduction  During the preparation of prominent team sports events, such as the annual Hasselt Students Regatta at Hasselt, Belgium, it was necessary to train rowing team members effectively within a relatively short period of time [8], [10]. On this occasion, during the spring trimester of 2007, it was decided to set up a study to compare the effect of the usual training of these and other sportsmen, with such training assisted by electrovibrostimulation. Recently, a series of publications demonstrated the importance of electro-vibrostimulation training with respect to the human skeletal-muscular apparatus [1]-[4]. Several authors since have suggested that for healthy sportsmen, the combination of electrostimulation and vibrostimulation might be useful to increase their strength, both in terms of endurance and power bursts [5]-[7]. This may be especially the case in powertraining and endurance training during the rowing season [8]. Contrary to the current concept of training the agonist muscles by whole body vibration, it was interesting to return to the original experimental set-up by Zinkovsky and co-workers, who trained the antagonist muscles of sportsmen by vibration, whilst training their agonist muscles and synergist muscles by electrostimulation [1]-[6], [9, in litt.].   Analysed material  The purpose of this study was to perform a comparison between classical powertraining and electrovibration training for sportsmen. Therefore 26 healthy volunteers with ages from 18-24 years old were selected.  As a prerequisite, all of them had to be involved in some team sport currently, like athletics, soccer, handball, rowing, and followed a training scheme of at least twice a week. Exclusion criteria were similar to those indicated by literature [5], [9, in litt.]. These 26 subjects were divided randomly into 3 groups: an electrovibrostimulation group, a placebo group, and a control group which continued its usual training. These  groups contained 11, 10 and 5 subjects respectively. This study design, involving human subjects, was approved by the Committee for Medical Ethics of the University of Hasselt, Belgium.  320. ELECTROVIBROSTIMULATION DURING THE TRAINING OF SPORTSMEN, AN EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP.  KOOS JAAP VAN ZWIETEN, IRIS VERHAEGEN, BERT OP ‘T EIJNDE , ANATOLY ZINKOVSKY , IRINA ZUBOVA, KLAUS SCHMIDT AND PETER LIPPENS   © VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716  51  Applied methods  The study consisted of 3 consecutive parts :  1) Prestudy Before the intervention, the 26 subjects underwent measurements of the isometric quadriceps femoris muscle strength, by means of a simple mechanical force gauge meter. Flexibility assessment of hamstring muscles was done by means of a sit-and-reach test (Sporta De Waele®), and explosive power burst capacity of both quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles was measured by means of a vertical jump meter (Takei Jump-MD®).   2) Intervention In this part of the study, only the first and the second group participated i.e. the electrovibrostimulation group (11 subjects) and the placebo group (10 subjects). Vibration of both hamstrings and foot- and ankle extensors as the antagonists was performed on a FitVibe® platform, as shown in Figure 1, while electrostimulation of both quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles as the agonists took place by means of Myaction Med® devices, shown in Figure 2.    Fig. 1. FitVibe® for Whole Body Vibration (left) and operation panel (right) with electrostimulation devices lying on the vibration platform   Fig. 2. Myaction Med® devices for electrostimulation  The intervention took up to 4 weeks, during which these 26 subjects had to train twice a week. The trainings were divided as follows :  Electrovibrostimulation group  - 5 minutes cycling on a home-trainer, as a warming-up of the muscles. - exercising during electrovibrostimulation. These exercises took place with feet unshoed, so that the vibrations were not damped differently in people wearing different kinds of shoes. This set-up is shown in Figure 3.  Placebo group  - 5 minutes cycling on a home-trainer, as a warming-up of the muscles. - exercising without electrovibrostimulation. The exercises were performed under identical conditions as for the electrovibrostimulation group, but with the respective devices switched off.   Reference group  The reference group consisting of 5 subjects exercised according to their usual powertraining scheme.  3) Poststudy After the intervention the 26 subjects again underwent measurements of the isometric quadriceps femoris muscle strength, by means of a mechanical force gauge meter. Flexibility assessment of hamstring muscles was done by means of the sit-and-reach test again, and explosive power burst capacity of both quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles was measured by means of the vertical jump meter.  Results  For the isometric strength there is a significant increase in the electrovibrostimulation group (p < 0,001). As also shown in Figure 4, this isometric strength is not 320. ELECTROVIBROSTIMULATION DURING THE TRAINING OF SPORTSMEN, AN EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP.  KOOS JAAP VAN ZWIETEN, IRIS VERHAEGEN, BERT OP ‘T EIJNDE , ANATOLY ZINKOVSKY , IRINA ZUBOVA, KLAUS SCHMIDT AND PETER LIPPENS   © VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716  52  significantly increased in the placebo group and the reference group. In the average values of flexibility in the three groups there is no significant modification, as indicated in Figure 5. As for the explosive strength, a significant increase in explosive strength is noticed in the electrovibrostimulation group (p < 0,001). The explosive strength is not significantly increased in the placebo group and in the reference group. This is shown in Figure 6.    Fig. 3. Vibration combined with simultaneous electrostimulation     Fig. 4. Isometric strength of agonist muscles in three groups of test persons before (pre) and after (post) intervention by electrovibrostimulation (EVS)   Fig. 5. Flexibility of antagonist muscles in three groups of test persons before (pre) and after (post) intervention by electrovibrostimulation (EVS)     Fig. 6. Explosive strength of agonist muscles in three groups of test persons before (pre) and after (post) intervention by electrovibrostimulation (EVS)  The intensity of training of some of the muscles of upper and lower leg by electrostimulation caused muscle soreness in just a few subjects, mainly the day after their trainings. Therefore one of them was excluded from the electrovibrostimulation group, while two other ones were trained by slightly lower electrostimulation intensities since.  Discussion  Results of former studies showed the effectiveness of electrovibrostimulation on the functional state of muscles: increased muscle strength in the zone of active insufficiency and increased muscle elasticity in the zone of passive insufficiency, and in consequence improved joint strength and mobility. In many endurance sports such as running, cycling, rowing etcetera, alternations of flexor-extensor movements play a central role, especially in the lower extremities [8]. Electrovibrostimulation apparently works on this agonist-antagonist principle, by decreasing the zones of active insufficiency of the agonist and synergist muscles by electrostimulation, whilst diminishing the zones of passive insufficiency of the antagonist muscles by simultaneously applied vibrostimulation [2], [3]. 320. ELECTROVIBROSTIMULATION DURING THE TRAINING OF SPORTSMEN, AN EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP.  KOOS JAAP VAN ZWIETEN, IRIS VERHAEGEN, BERT OP ‘T EIJNDE , ANATOLY ZINKOVSKY , IRINA ZUBOVA, KLAUS SCHMIDT AND PETER LIPPENS   © VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716  53  The working mechanism of this apparent result has until now not been fully explained. With regard to Whole Body Vibration, many authors stress the existence of rather complex neuromuscular pathways, on the basis of proprioceptive reflexes [5].  On the level of the striated muscle cells however, it can be hypothesized from molecular points of view, that vibrations in se impair effective bindings of the proteins involved in the building-up of muscle contraction force, namely the binding of myosin heads to actin-g [11]. In this way, vibrations could influence the on-off mechanism of muscle contraction, thus explaining the decrease of the zones of passive insufficiency of the antagonist muscles under the influence of vibration training [2]. Of all muscle proteins, titin is a molecule that plays an important part in muscle contraction [11]. Recent studies by Kellermayer et al. [12] showed mechanical fatigue of titin after repeated stretchings. Extrapolating these in vitro data at a molecular level to our present in vivo study, whilst taking into account these changes of material properties, it can be expected that titin will be stretched out more easily after repetitive vibrations. Thus the sarcomere lengths of antagonists increase, so that these muscles can be stretched out more easily. In combination with electrostimulation applied to the agonist and the synergist muscles, which are simultaneously subjected to diminished antagonist forces, this will result in more efficient agonist and synergist muscle strengths.  Further research at a molecular level is urgently needed, to either confirm or reject these and other hypotheses concerning the working mechanisms of electrovibrostimulation. Zinkovsky and co-workers [1] - [4] observed an improvement of flexibility with regard to certain joints. The present study could not confirm this. We must however take into account that the present study used a different way to test flexibility, namely the sit-and-reach test, by which is tested not only the flexibility of antagonists in the legs, but also the flexibility of muscles and other structures in the back. This can explain why the present study was not able to determine any increase of flexibility.  Conclusions  Electrovibrostimulation improved the isometric and the explosive strength, while the flexibility remained the same, in a group of 18-24 years old healthy sportsmen. There is a need for more investigations on flexibility, in which more and other tests than just the sit-and-reach test should be used for the measuring of flexibility. It is also necessary to study the effects of electrovibrostimulation using isokinetic strength measurements, by means of e.g. a Cybex-dynamometer.  The present study, based on similar research in previous years, will possibly throw new light on the applications of electrovibrostimulation and its apparent effects, and at the same time give impetus to the unravelling of its working mechanisms at a molecular level.  Acknowledgements  The authors wish to thank explicitly Rob Vliek, Frank Temmerman and Johan Ex of GymnaUniphy for kindly providing the Fitvibe® apparatus and the Myaction Med® devices, as well as for their perpetuous and invaluable help during the present study design. Raf Meesen of the Reval Research Institute is thanked for his interest and his constructive contributions. Dries Schuurmans, University of Hasselt Sports Coordinator is thanked for his stimulating help in searching the volunteering subjects. Jean Manca and Michel De Roeve, University of Hasselt, Department of Physics, are thanked for kindly making available laboratory spaces and equipment. Herbert Thijs of the  Center of Statistics (CenStat) of the University of Hasselt is thanked for his clear advice during statistical data handling. We also thank volunteering person Ann Reyskens for figuring as a model, and photographer Marc Withofs, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Hasselt, for making the photographs during this study.  References  [1] Zinkovsky A. V., Eliseev S. V., Kuznetsov V. V, Zoubova I. A., Schmidt K. P. Training of the skeletal-muscular apparatus of sportsmen through electrovibrostimulation. XIV International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports, June 25-29, 1996, Lisboa, Book of Abstracts. Editor João M.C.S. Abrantes, Edições FMH Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, ISBN 972-735-029-1, 1996, p. 191. [2] Zinkovsky A. V., Arsenyev D. G., Kuznetsov V. V.,  Zoubova I. A., Schmidt K. P. Electro-vibrostimulation training and recuperation of the human skeletal-muscular apparatus. 10th Conference of the European Society of Biomechanics Leuven, August 28-31, 1996, Book of Abstracts. Edited by Jos Vander Sloten, Geert Lowet, Remi Van Audekercke and Georges Van der Perre, ISBN 90-803242-1-3, 1996, p. 238. [3] Zinkovsky A. V., Kuznetsov V. V., Schmidt K. P., Zoubova I. A. Biomechanical stimulation of the human skeletal-muscular apparatus in zones of the active and passive insufficiency. XVIth Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics, Tokyo, August 25 - 29, 1997. Book of Abstracts, 1997, p. 328.  [4] Zinkovsky A. V ., Zoubova I. A., Schmidt K. P., Van Zwieten K. J. Training of the skeletal-muscle apparatus of sportsmen through electrovibrostimulation. Tijdschrift voor Fysische Therapie 1998, 4, p. 9-11. [5] Delecluse C., Roelants M., Verschueren S. Strength increase after whole body vibration compared with resistance training. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 35, 2003, p. 1033 -1041.  [6] Müller E., Löberbauer E., Kruk M. Elektrostimulation und Whole Body Vibration: zwei erfolgreiche Krafttrainingsmethoden? Leistungssport 2003, 4, p. 4 -10. [7] Diricks K., Hauglustaine S., Van Zwieten K. J., Lippens P. L., Schmidt K. P., Zinkovsky A. V. Soft tissues possibly transducing low frequency vibrations in the human locomotor apparatus. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Congress on Sound and Vibration, Edited by Nickolay I. Ivanov and Malcolm J. Crocker, St. Petersburg, Russia, 5 - 8 July 2004, ISBN 5-7325-0816-3, 2004, p. 1787-1790. 320. ELECTROVIBROSTIMULATION DURING THE TRAINING OF SPORTSMEN, AN EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP.  KOOS JAAP VAN ZWIETEN, IRIS VERHAEGEN, BERT OP ‘T EIJNDE , ANATOLY ZINKOVSKY , IRINA ZUBOVA, KLAUS SCHMIDT AND PETER LIPPENS   © VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716  54  [8] Lambrichts D., Van Zwieten K. J., Lippens P. L., Schmidt K. P., Hauglustaine S. The role of the pronator teres muscle in the arm during the rowing movement, at the end of the stroke. Proceedings of the 2nd International Congress on "Sport and Health", April 21-23, 2005, St. Petersburg, Russia, under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Terry Davis. St. Petersburg 358-3 ISBN 5-94988-012-9, 2005, p. 358-359. [9] Nackaerts K. Whole body vibration as an adjuvant  therapy for treating  repetitive strain injury (RSI). MSc Thesis in Physical Therapy, Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg, Departement Gezondheidszorg, Opleiding Kinesitherapie. Hasselt, 2006. (not formally published) [10] Van Zwieten K. J., Zubova, I. A.  Methods to improve the health of the student population at the University of Hasselt, Belgium, by means of sports and movement facilities. In: Varzin S. A., Voronko S. E., Tarasovskaia O. U., Prus L. A., Eds. Transactions of the All-Russian Scientific Conference "Health as the basis of human potential: problems and how to solve them". September 26-28, 2006, Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University Publishers: © Saint-Petersburg State University  © Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University, 2006, p. 194 -197. [11] Arseniev D. G., Aranov V. J., Bauer S. M., Biqdai E. V., Zinkovsky A. V., Ivanov A. A., Ilyin I. J., Liksonov D. V., Maslov L. B., Palmov V. A., Potekhin V. V., Samoilov  V. O., Sholukha V. A. Matematitcheskie modeli i kompu-ternoe modelirovanie v biomechanike (Mathematical Models and Computer Modelling in Biomechanics).  Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation, published in SPbSPU, St. Petersburg, 514 p. "Applied Mechanics", ISBN 5-7422-0239-3, 2004. [12] Kellermayer M. S. Z., Smith S. B., Bustamante C., Granzier H. L. Mechanical Fatigue in Repetitively Strectched Single Molecules of Titin. Biophysical Journal, 80, February 2001, p. 852-863.   

Electrovibrostimulation during the training of sportsmen, an experimental set-up

Journal of Vibroengineering

 © VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716 
 
50 
320. Electrovibrostimulation During the Training of Sportsmen, an  
        Experimental Set-up  
 
Koos Jaap Van Zwieten1, Iris Verhaegen1, Bert Op ‘T Eijnde 2, Anatoly Zinkovsky 3, Irina Zubova3, Klaus 
Schmidt1 and Peter Lippens1 
1University of Hasselt, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Human Movement Studies, BioMed Institute, B-3590 
  Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, phone: + 32 (0)11 26 85 05, fax: + 32 (0)11 26 85 99, e-mail: koosjaap.vanzwieten@uhasselt.be 
2Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg, Department of Health Care Sciences, REVAL Research Institute, B-3500 Hasselt, 
  Guffenslaan 39, phone: + 32 (0)11 29 49 81, fax: + 32 (0)11 29 49 53, e-mail: Bopteijnde@mail.phl.be 
3Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnic University, Department of Biomechanics, 195220 Saint-Petersburg, Grashdanski 
  Prospect 28, phone and fax: + 7 (812) 534 13 64, e-mail: bioval@imop.spbstu.ru 
 
(Received 3  September 2007; accepted 22 October 2007) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract. In this study the effects of electrovibrostimulation training are compared with classical powertraining, in a group 
of 18-24 years old healthy sportsmen, during the spring season of 2007.  
Former studies showed the effectiveness of electrovibrostimulation on the functional condition of muscles: increase of 
the strength in the active insufficiency zone and increase of the elasticity in the passive insufficiency zone, consequently 
improving joint strength and mobility. After four weeks of electrovibrostimulation, applied twice a week, significant 
increases of isometric strength and explosive strength were observed, whereas the flexibility remained the same. Some 
hypotheses are discussed concerning the possible working mechanisms of electrovibrostimulation.  
 
Keywords: Sportsmen training, whole body vibration, electrovibrostimulation, musculoskeletal apparatus. 
 
 
Introduction 
 
During the preparation of prominent team sports 
events, such as the annual Hasselt Students Regatta at 
Hasselt, Belgium, it was necessary to train rowing team 
members effectively within a relatively short period of time 
[8], [10]. On this occasion, during the spring trimester of 
2007, it was decided to set up a study to compare the effect 
of the usual training of these and other sportsmen, with 
such training assisted by electrovibrostimulation. Recently, 
a series of publications demonstrated the importance of 
electro-vibrostimulation training with respect to the human 
skeletal-muscular apparatus [1]-[4]. Several authors since 
have suggested that for healthy sportsmen, the combination 
of electrostimulation and vibrostimulation might be useful 
to increase their strength, both in terms of endurance and 
power bursts [5]-[7]. This may be especially the case in 
powertraining and endurance training during the rowing 
season [8]. Contrary to the current concept of training the 
agonist muscles by whole body vibration, it was interesting 
to return to the original experimental set-up by Zinkovsky 
and co-workers, who trained the antagonist muscles of 
sportsmen by vibration, whilst training their agonist 
muscles and synergist muscles by electrostimulation [1]-
[6], [9, in litt.].  
 
Analysed material 
 
The purpose of this study was to perform a comparison 
between classical powertraining and electrovibration 
training for sportsmen. Therefore 26 healthy volunteers 
with ages from 18-24 years old were selected.  
As a prerequisite, all of them had to be involved in 
some team sport currently, like athletics, soccer, handball, 
rowing, and followed a training scheme of at least twice a 
week. Exclusion criteria were similar to those indicated by 
literature [5], [9, in litt.]. 
These 26 subjects were divided randomly into 3 groups: 
an electrovibrostimulation group, a placebo group, and a 
control group which continued its usual training. These  
groups contained 11, 10 and 5 subjects respectively. 
This study design, involving human subjects, was 
approved by the Committee for Medical Ethics of the 
University of Hasselt, Belgium. 
 
320. ELECTROVIBROSTIMULATION DURING THE TRAINING OF SPORTSMEN, AN EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP.  KOOS JAAP VAN ZWIETEN, IRIS VERHAEGEN, 
BERT OP ‘T EIJNDE , ANATOLY ZINKOVSKY , IRINA ZUBOVA, KLAUS SCHMIDT AND PETER LIPPENS 
 
 
© VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716 
 
51 
 
Applied methods 
 
The study consisted of 3 consecutive parts : 
 
1) Prestudy 
Before the intervention, the 26 subjects underwent 
measurements of the isometric quadriceps femoris muscle 
strength, by means of a simple mechanical force gauge 
meter. Flexibility assessment of hamstring muscles was 
done by means of a sit-and-reach test (Sporta De Waele®), 
and explosive power burst capacity of both quadriceps and 
gastrocnemius muscles was measured by means of a 
vertical jump meter (Takei Jump-MD®).  
 
2) Intervention 
In this part of the study, only the first and the second 
group participated i.e. the electrovibrostimulation group 
(11 subjects) and the placebo group (10 subjects). 
Vibration of both hamstrings and foot- and ankle extensors 
as the antagonists was performed on a FitVibe® platform, 
as shown in Figure 1, while electrostimulation of both 
quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles as the agonists took 
place by means of Myaction Med® devices, shown in 
Figure 2. 
 
 
 
Fig. 1. FitVibe® for Whole Body Vibration (left) and operation 
panel (right) with electrostimulation devices lying on the 
vibration platform 
 
 
Fig. 2. Myaction Med® devices for electrostimulation 
 
The intervention took up to 4 weeks, during which 
these 26 subjects had to train twice a week. The trainings 
were divided as follows : 
 
Electrovibrostimulation group 
 
- 5 minutes cycling on a home-trainer, as a warming-up of 
the muscles. 
- exercising during electrovibrostimulation. 
These exercises took place with feet unshoed, so that 
the vibrations were not damped differently in people 
wearing different kinds of shoes. This set-up is shown in 
Figure 3. 
 
Placebo group 
 
- 5 minutes cycling on a home-trainer, as a warming-up 
of the muscles. 
- exercising without electrovibrostimulation. 
The exercises were performed under identical 
conditions as for the electrovibrostimulation group, but 
with the respective devices switched off.  
 
Reference group 
 
The reference group consisting of 5 subjects exercised 
according to their usual powertraining scheme. 
 
3) Poststudy 
After the intervention the 26 subjects again underwent 
measurements of the isometric quadriceps femoris muscle 
strength, by means of a mechanical force gauge meter. 
Flexibility assessment of hamstring muscles was done by 
means of the sit-and-reach test again, and explosive power 
burst capacity of both quadriceps and gastrocnemius 
muscles was measured by means of the vertical jump 
meter. 
 
Results 
 
For the isometric strength there is a significant 
increase in the electrovibrostimulation group (p < 0,001). 
As also shown in Figure 4, this isometric strength is not 
320. ELECTROVIBROSTIMULATION DURING THE TRAINING OF SPORTSMEN, AN EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP.  KOOS JAAP VAN ZWIETEN, IRIS VERHAEGEN, 
BERT OP ‘T EIJNDE , ANATOLY ZINKOVSKY , IRINA ZUBOVA, KLAUS SCHMIDT AND PETER LIPPENS 
 
 
© VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716 
 
52 
 
significantly increased in the placebo group and the 
reference group. In the average values of flexibility in the 
three groups there is no significant modification, as 
indicated in Figure 5. As for the explosive strength, a 
significant increase in explosive strength is noticed in the 
electrovibrostimulation group (p < 0,001). The explosive 
strength is not significantly increased in the placebo group 
and in the reference group. This is shown in Figure 6. 
 
 
 
Fig. 3. Vibration combined with simultaneous electrostimulation 
 
 
 
 
Fig. 4. Isometric strength of agonist muscles in three groups of 
test persons before (pre) and after (post) intervention by 
electrovibrostimulation (EVS) 
 
 
Fig. 5. Flexibility of antagonist muscles in three groups of test 
persons before (pre) and after (post) intervention by 
electrovibrostimulation (EVS) 
 
 
 
 
Fig. 6. Explosive strength of agonist muscles in three groups of 
test persons before (pre) and after (post) intervention by 
electrovibrostimulation (EVS) 
 
The intensity of training of some of the muscles of 
upper and lower leg by electrostimulation caused muscle 
soreness in just a few subjects, mainly the day after their 
trainings. Therefore one of them was excluded from the 
electrovibrostimulation group, while two other ones were 
trained by slightly lower electrostimulation intensities 
since. 
 
Discussion 
 
Results of former studies showed the effectiveness of 
electrovibrostimulation on the functional state of muscles: 
increased muscle strength in the zone of active 
insufficiency and increased muscle elasticity in the zone of 
passive insufficiency, and in consequence improved joint 
strength and mobility. In many endurance sports such as 
running, cycling, rowing etcetera, alternations of flexor-
extensor movements play a central role, especially in the 
lower extremities [8]. 
Electrovibrostimulation apparently works on this 
agonist-antagonist principle, by decreasing the zones of 
active insufficiency of the agonist and synergist muscles by 
electrostimulation, whilst diminishing the zones of passive 
insufficiency of the antagonist muscles by simultaneously 
applied vibrostimulation [2], [3]. 
320. ELECTROVIBROSTIMULATION DURING THE TRAINING OF SPORTSMEN, AN EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP.  KOOS JAAP VAN ZWIETEN, IRIS VERHAEGEN, 
BERT OP ‘T EIJNDE , ANATOLY ZINKOVSKY , IRINA ZUBOVA, KLAUS SCHMIDT AND PETER LIPPENS 
 
 
© VIBROMECHANIKA.  JOURNAL OF  VIBROENGINEERING.  2007 OCTOBER/DECEMBER,   VOLUME  9,  ISSUE  4,  ISSN 1392-8716 
 
53 
 
The working mechanism of this apparent result has 
until now not been fully explained. With regard to Whole 
Body Vibration, many authors stress the existence of rather 
complex neuromuscular pathways, on the basis of 
proprioceptive reflexes [5].  
On the level of the striated muscle cells however, it can 
be hypothesized from molecular points of view, that 
vibrations in se impair effective bindings of the proteins 
involved in the building-up of muscle contraction force, 
namely the binding of myosin heads to actin-g [11]. In this 
way, vibrations could influence the on-off mechanism of 
muscle contraction, thus explaining the decrease of the 
zones of passive insufficiency of the antagonist muscles 
under the influence of vibration training [2]. 
Of all muscle proteins, titin is a molecule that plays an 
important part in muscle contraction [11]. Recent studies 
by Kellermayer et al. [12] showed mechanical fatigue of 
titin after repeated stretchings. Extrapolating these in vitro 
data at a molecular level to our present in vivo study, whilst 
taking into account these changes of material properties, it 
can be expected that titin will be stretched out more easily 
after repetitive vibrations. Thus the sarcomere lengths of 
antagonists increase, so that these muscles can be stretched 
out more easily. In combination with electrostimulation 
applied to the agonist and the synergist muscles, which are 
simultaneously subjected to diminished antagonist forces, 
this will result in more efficient agonist and synergist 
muscle strengths.  
Further research at a molecular level is urgently needed, 
to either confirm or reject these and other hypotheses 
concerning the working mechanisms of 
electrovibrostimulation. 
Zinkovsky and co-workers [1] - [4] observed an 
improvement of flexibility with regard to certain joints. 
The present study could not confirm this. We must 
however take into account that the present study used a 
different way to test flexibility, namely the sit-and-reach 
test, by which is tested not only the flexibility of 
antagonists in the legs, but also the flexibility of muscles 
and other structures in the back. This can explain why the 
present study was not able to determine any increase of 
flexibility. 
 
Conclusions 
 
Electrovibrostimulation improved the isometric and 
the explosive strength, while the flexibility remained the 
same, in a group of 18-24 years old healthy sportsmen. 
There is a need for more investigations on flexibility, in 
which more and other tests than just the sit-and-reach test 
should be used for the measuring of flexibility. It is also 
necessary to study the effects of electrovibrostimulation 
using isokinetic strength measurements, by means of e.g. a 
Cybex-dynamometer.  
The present study, based on similar research in previous 
years, will possibly throw new light on the applications of 
electrovibrostimulation and its apparent effects, and at the 
same time give impetus to the unravelling of its working 
mechanisms at a molecular level.  
Acknowledgements 
 
The authors wish to thank explicitly Rob Vliek, Frank 
Temmerman and Johan Ex of GymnaUniphy for kindly 
providing the Fitvibe® apparatus and the Myaction Med® 
devices, as well as for their perpetuous and invaluable help 
during the present study design. Raf Meesen of the Reval 
Research Institute is thanked for his interest and his 
constructive contributions. Dries Schuurmans, University 
of Hasselt Sports Coordinator is thanked for his stimulating 
help in searching the volunteering subjects. Jean Manca 
and Michel De Roeve, University of Hasselt, Department 
of Physics, are thanked for kindly making available 
laboratory spaces and equipment. Herbert Thijs of the  
Center of Statistics (CenStat) of the University of Hasselt is 
thanked for his clear advice during statistical data handling. 
We also thank volunteering person Ann Reyskens for 
figuring as a model, and photographer Marc Withofs, 
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of 
Hasselt, for making the photographs during this study. 
 
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Electrovibrostimulation during the training of sportsmen, an experimental set-up

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