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Good vibrations… or not?
Some things are meant to vibrate – such as your cellphone. But what about your whole body? Whole body vibration is the latest exercise trend to shake up celebs such as Madonna, offering a quick-fix way to get fit and lose weight. But sceptical experts warn using these wobbling widgets could be risky . . .
By Laura Twiggs
It’s 1 pm on a warm Monday in Cape Town’s trendy Wembley Square as I ease my car into a parking space with a suddenly pounding heart. I’m not here for lunch with the Mother City’s movers and shakers. I’m here to do a whole different kind of moving and shaking – a whole body vibration (WBV) class at the gym upstairs.
Hesitantly I enter the studio and come face-to-face with a Power Plate machine, one of the more well-known brands of these WBV machines. It looks a bit like a tele-transportation device – silver controls, large black platform and sturdy chrome handles. Plus the instructor, Sweetness Javu, looks like a buff version of Queen Latifah.
I’m not really the nervous sort and while exercise isn’t top of my list of life’s pleasures it doesn’t generally terrify me. But just an hour ago I learnt vibration plate machines can loosen surgical metal structures and since a head-on collision eight years ago I’m the proud owner of a lower-jaw bridge and a set of titanium bolts that hold my jaw together.
A quick call to Professor Jean Morkel of the University of the Western Cape’s Maxillofacial Department (a field of medicine that deals with the hard and soft tissues of the head, neck, face and jaw areas) allays my fears – somewhat. My jawbone is certainly fused by now, he says.
Only people who’ve had surgical metal implanted in the past six months need to worry about “falling apart”.
As for the bridge? Well, he can’t say for sure, but there’s a chance it’ll come loose or even detach. So, at worst, I’ll suffer a temporary loss of my smile. I can live with that, I think. Particularly if I’m going to be teleported to a slimmer, stronger, more toned version of myself.
As soon as Sweetness powers up the Power Plate I feel like I’m standing on top of a washing machine in full spin cycle – but 10 times that. There’s a curious buzzing from the soles of my feet right up to my head. Even my fingertips are tingling.
During the 30-minute workout I step off the machine to rest about five times, largely because I can feel the vibrations jackhammer-like in my jaw. When it’s over my legs are jelly and my arms quivering as I gingerly make my way to the car. I’m relieved my smile is intact but I’m feeling rather peculiar all the same.
I suppose feeling peculiar is to be expected if you consider WBV machines vibrate at a rate of 30 MHZ to 50 MHz (or cycles a second), depending on the setting. It’s an alarming range, and several experts say anything higher than 35 MHz is outside the safety zone.
They say rates higher than this can lead to acute discomfort and focal pain in joints, as well as induced alterations in visual perception and an impaired ability to move your eyes smoothly, accurately and efficiently – the skills needed to read from line to line or word to word and also to follow a ball with your eyes.
But although jiggling and shaking at a high frequency is a bizarre fitness concept the idea has scientifically sound origins. WBV training was conceived about 40 years ago when Russian scientists investigated its use to prevent cosmonauts from losing muscle tone when exposed to zero gravity.
From there the use of WBV spread. Russian ballet dancers found vibration training enhanced strength and flexibility and helped them recover from injury.
By 1999 Dutch Olympic trainer Guus van Meer was using Russian research to develop the vibrating fitness machines we know today. A decade later these machines are to the modern health-and-fitness culture what the hula hoop was to 1950s fad culture.
Physiotherapists and biokineticists use the machines for injury rehabilitation, competitive athletes use them to boost strength, beauticians use them for weight loss and doctors use them to fight osteoporosis.
In recent years aggressive marketing has fueled the popularity of vibration platforms as the general public has become hooked on the concept of getting the benefits of a full workout in a third of the time.
But beware: that top-of-the-range machine in your biokineticist’s rooms is not the same as the freebie you may be offered with a new cellphone contract. Cheaper models are generally inferior, with smaller plates and less powerful motors. They also lack the build-quality and reliability of expensive machines made by reputable companies.
So, what’s the buzz around WBV?
The idea is that the vibrations activate the muscles throughout the body in an attempt to maintain balance. WBV devotees claim this brings a range of benefits including pain reduction, improved sleep, anti-ageing effects, cellulite reduction, enhanced bone-growth and even improved libido and reduced acne.
Researchers at the American space agency Nasa also say the vibrations help to build muscle, fight osteoporosis, repair damaged tissue and improve mood through the release of hormones.
But not everyone agrees. In fact, sceptical scientists point to a lack of long-term data and some pretty worrying warnings. One such scientist is Professor Clinton Rubin, a biomedical engineering expert at the State University of New York.
According to Rubin the high vibration frequency can cause cartilage damage, blurred vision, hearing loss and even brain damage – particularly if the machine is overused or used outside the safe zone.
Some researchers are also concerned that high-amplitude vibrations send jarring waves through the body, which can make it dangerous over time. Pretoria-based neurologist Dr Manesh Pillay is circumspect.
“There’s a real research deficit as to the benefits and side effects of these machines,” he says. “At first glance there’s considerable literature, covering vibration therapy’s use in a variety of settings including orthopaedics, neurology and sports medicine. But most of these studies are small-scale and far from conclusive. There’s no literature on the applications in a medical environment and there’s no conclusive proof of these benefits.”
However, Pillay adds, there’s no evidence to support the theory that high-amplitude vibrations are dangerous or that they cause cartilage and brain damage. In short there simply hasn’t been enough thorough, consistent and ongoing research yet – and what research there has been has delivered contradictory results.
Nick Grantham of the English Institute of Sport is one of the few experts to have thoroughly assessed the research into vibration training (visit www.sportsinjurybulletin.com for the full study).
According to Grantham more than 15 papers on the performance-enhancement aspect of WBV training were published between 1998 and 2005 – and the results differed widely.
“Some studies have found little or no significant performance gains,” Grantham says. “But for every paper that fails to show improvements there are several that show vibration training in a more positive light, with beneficial adaptations such as increased muscular power, flexibility, strength, balance and hormone-release.”
While this research is “still in its infancy . . . anyone using this technique will be doing so with their fingers firmly crossed behind their backs”.
Dr Pillay agrees, adding, “I think WBV might turn out to be a useful clinical tool but only once we fully understand how it works and how to use it safely.”
Someone who finds vibration training particularly useful is local professional triathlete and ironman Raynard Tissink, who’s sponsored by Power Plate. Raynard has nothing but praise for the machines, although he sees them as supplementary rather than stand-alone training tools.
“At the moment I use the machine twice a week,” he says. He also spends up to 40 hours a week swimming, cycling and running. “I’d never be able to be a competitive triathlete by doing WBV alone and anyone who knows anything about the sport will know that. But it has helped improve my strength on both the running and biking disciplines.”
Of course, Raynard is a high-level athlete in tip-top health and was given a specific training programme with regular updates on new techniques. “You do need to know how to use the machine correctly, and I think an uninformed person can cause injury to themselves,” he notes.
Tracey-Lee van Wyk (42) considers herself one of these people. She was paralysed on one side after a spinal cord injury 10 years ago and also suffers from fibromyalgia, a debilitating chronic illness characterised by aches, pains, stiffness, soft-tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances.
After seeing adverts for WBV training Tracey- Lee thought it might help her build strength and lose the weight she gained after her accident. “I answered an ad for sessions at a beauty salon,” she says. “I had one brief session with an instructor who basically told me where to switch the machine on and off. I asked about the implications for my spinal cord injury and was told this would be perfect for me. I wasn’t informed about any possible risks.”
After eight weeks of unsupervised half-hour sessions three times a week Tracey-Lee started experiencing blackouts.
“The first time I thought it was a panic attack,” she says. But the episodes became more severe and frequent. “I eventually went to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with petit mal epilepsy. I didn’t connect it to the training and didn’t even think to mention it.”
Instead Tracey-Lee increased her vibration training to five times a week. “Eventually the blackouts were so bad I had an EEG and a CAT scan but these revealed nothing and I was put on epilepsy medication. Only when I began having seizures so regularly that I was afraid to drive did I stop the training.”
Tracey-Lee was on epilepsy medication for a year but has been off it since December and has had no further seizures. She also hasn’t used the machine again. “If I had epilepsy it would’ve returned after going off the meds,” she says. “So my doctor says by a process of elimination we can pretty safely say the training was the cause. I’m convinced it was the training, and my physiotherapist, psychiatrist and orthopaedic surgeon agree.”
So it seems WBV can elicit either a love-it or hate-it response. But the small common ground occupied by nay-sayers and supporters alike is that users need to be aware of the potential risks.
In fact, even the manufacturers insist prospective users be made aware of these risks and have a medical assessment before starting training. Of course, these precautions are difficult to supervise. And that’s where the real danger lies.
Many sceptics think vibration training isn’t necessarily bad in all forms and applications, but they frequently blame over-use, inadequate candidate screening, poor quality machines (such as ones that simply wobble from side to side), insufficiently trained instructors and poor or absent supervision for the possible dangers and damage.
And, as the machines’ popularity and accessibility increase, so do the numbers of people suffering injury – particularly as prices plummet and cheaper, less-sound machines become generally available.
Pietermaritzburg-based biokineticist André Pienaar specialises in the rehabilitation of back problems. A vibration platform machine (made by Enraf, a company in the Netherlands that has specialised in manufacturing rehab equipment for 80 years) can be used in his practice – but only under supervision and in a supplementary way.
“Maybe I’m old-fashioned,” Pienaar says, “but I’ve seen fads come and go. There’s currently a lot of marketing hype around vibration therapy and, while there are definite benefits, some of these machines can do a great deal of harm and even be downright dangerous. There’s no way an R8 000 machine can have the mechanical sophistication or research behind it as one from a reputable company that comes at a far higher price.”
What’s more, the supposed “scientific” claims made by manufacturers can be baffling to lay people and even contradictory. Justin Durandt of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa’s (SSISA) High Performance Unit says the majority of studies offered as evidence of the benefits of whole body vibration mean very little.
“Most of the evidence uses untrained, inactive people as its starting point and then shows their ‘improvements’, ” he says. “Fact is, these people would show improvement if they did any form of training – even gentle jogging.
“Certainly there are merits to vibration training,” Durandt concedes, “but one can achieve the same end through other types of training, without the expense.
“There’s no doubt it improves strength but other claims – such as weight loss or improved cardio function – hasn’t been satisfactorily proved to date.
“That said, I believe it has its place – but in a properly conceptualised programme that outlines minimum guidelines, makes users aware of risks, screens them before starting and starts from a beginner’s level.”
Interestingly, SSISA doesn’t use WBV machines. Why? “Because we haven’t seen the results of any clinical trials that convince us this product is an essential requirement,” Professor Tim Noakes says. He’s the Discovery Health professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Cape Town and director of the MRC/UCT research unit for exercise, science and sports medicine at SSISA.
“Once the manufacturers have undertaken controlled clinical trials and published them in reputable scientific journals we’d be able to evaluate the claims. In the absence of such trials we really can’t say anything that has scientific credibility.”
Shake it safely
1 Get help
Anyone with orthopaedic injuries should avoid the machines or use them only under supervision of a biokineticist or a trainer with an understanding of postural awareness. Even if you’re unaware of any injury use the machine only if you know how to maintain a “safe”, supported body posture or are training with a practitioner who can teach you to hold the right posture.
2 Keep your sessions short
Keep it under 30 minutes and at a vibration level of 35 MHz. It isn’t yet documented what the safe duration of a session on the plate is. And I recommend users don’t exceed the safe zone of 35 MHz – even though the plates offer higher frequencies.
3 Perfect your posture
If you have any of the following conditions avoid whole body vibration training or consult a physician with knowledge of the machines:
If you’re in any doubt whatsoever get checked out by a GP first.
What Power Plate says …
Brink Eksteen, head of research at Power Plate South Africa, answers a few pressing questions
1 What is the real value of the Power Plate (PP)?
It’s the future of exercise: quick, easy and effective, providing comprehensive results in terms of fitness, health, beauty and performance.
2 What about the alleged dangers and risks of Whole Body Vibration Training (WBVT)?
WBVT, or acceleration training, as provided by the PP, is extremely safe. In fact, Power Plate International don’t exclude anyone from using the machine. PP training is a form of exercise, so if you’re able to do exercise you can use the PP. Yes, some people need special supervision but this applies to any other form of exercise – it’s no different for the PP.
3 How is THE PP different from other WBV machines?
People use other kinds of vibration machines and automatically think of them as a Power Plate. There’s a huge difference in the way the PP vibrates compared with most other cheap machines.
The PP uses a three-dimensional pattern where the whole platform moves forward and backward, side to side, and up and down 25 to 50 times a second (frequency) and the amplitude of the movement is just 2,5 mm to 5 mm. The movement pattern, frequency and amplitude have all been scientifically determined to be the most effective and safest form of vibration available, exploiting the body’s natural reflexes in a subtle and comfortable way.
When the PP is on you can’t see it moving, while most of the imitation machines use a much more violent form of vibration that literally shakes the whole body and places strain on the pelvis, spine and organs.
4 What are THE PP’s documented risks?
The risk is minimal, as long as the client performs the correct exercises under the correct supervision. Anyone with a medical condition (such as back injury, knee replacement, heart problems or diabetes) should follow specific procedures when starting an exercise programme. If they do the wrong exercises for their specific condition or train at an excessive intensity they are at risk of developing complications. The list of contra-indications is just a way to inform the public anyone shouldn’t just jump on a PP and do what they want. The vibration is safe but what you do on the PP is important.
5 Why is the PP more expensive than other machines?
Power Plate as a company has years of development and ongoing research behind them to ensure it offers the best equipment with sound scientific backup. There are only a few machines on the market that offer the correct type of vibration, and they’re more expensive than imitation machines. The company also offers full back-up in terms of training and servicing.
What the users say
Isabelle Luker (58), Umhlanga Rocks
Two years ago I did a Power Plate course with a personal trainer three times a week for five months. I had quite a long break after that and then my new gym got Power Plates. I hopped on and put the speed at “medium”. The jolt shook my eyeballs! Consequently, I developed posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), a condition where the vitreous in the centre of the eyeball pulls against the retina which starts to detach and can lead to blindness. The incident happened on 27 December and my PVD hasn’t improved yet. If you decide to use these machines, proceed with caution. It’s essential you start at the lowest speed, even if you’ve done it before. That was my mistake. I must also note I’ve been with a personal trainer for two months now without doing vibration training and my muscle tone is better than when I used the Power Plate for five months.
Kate Turner (28), Johannesburg
I’ve done about five Power Plate sessions of about 10 minutes each at a Virgin Active gym and all have been unsupervised. I’ve used the machine after workouts and it’s good fun to stand and “rest” for 10 minutes while your body gets a good jiggle. Yes, I’ve lost 3 kg, but I think it’s due to my 90-minute sessions on the treadmill and a strict diet. Overall I think the machine doesn’t do much. I’m really a sceptic.
Tony Mills (69), Port Elizabeth
I’m very active and for a time I was doing Power Plate three times a week for 30 minutes at a time in a small class with an instructor. I think the Power Plate has given me muscle tone in areas where I don’t use the muscles in my regular walking, hiking and canoeing. I also think my circulation has improved – and it does help the libido too. I’ve only had a positive experience but I’d advise people not to overdo it.
Some things are meant to vibrate – such as your cellphone. But what about your whole body? Whole body vibration is the latest exercise trend to shake up celebs such as Madonna, offering a quick-fix way to get fit and lose weight. But sceptical experts warn using these wobbling widgets could be risky . . .
By Laura Twiggs
It’s 1 pm on a warm Monday in Cape Town’s trendy Wembley Square as I ease my car into a parking space with a suddenly pounding heart. I’m not here for lunch with the Mother City’s movers and shakers. I’m here to do a whole different kind of moving and shaking – a whole body vibration (WBV) class at the gym upstairs.
Hesitantly I enter the studio and come face-to-face with a Power Plate machine, one of the more well-known brands of these WBV machines. It looks a bit like a tele-transportation device – silver controls, large black platform and sturdy chrome handles. Plus the instructor, Sweetness Javu, looks like a buff version of Queen Latifah.
I’m not really the nervous sort and while exercise isn’t top of my list of life’s pleasures it doesn’t generally terrify me. But just an hour ago I learnt vibration plate machines can loosen surgical metal structures and since a head-on collision eight years ago I’m the proud owner of a lower-jaw bridge and a set of titanium bolts that hold my jaw together.
A quick call to Professor Jean Morkel of the University of the Western Cape’s Maxillofacial Department (a field of medicine that deals with the hard and soft tissues of the head, neck, face and jaw areas) allays my fears – somewhat. My jawbone is certainly fused by now, he says.
Only people who’ve had surgical metal implanted in the past six months need to worry about “falling apart”.
As for the bridge? Well, he can’t say for sure, but there’s a chance it’ll come loose or even detach. So, at worst, I’ll suffer a temporary loss of my smile. I can live with that, I think. Particularly if I’m going to be teleported to a slimmer, stronger, more toned version of myself.
As soon as Sweetness powers up the Power Plate I feel like I’m standing on top of a washing machine in full spin cycle – but 10 times that. There’s a curious buzzing from the soles of my feet right up to my head. Even my fingertips are tingling.
During the 30-minute workout I step off the machine to rest about five times, largely because I can feel the vibrations jackhammer-like in my jaw. When it’s over my legs are jelly and my arms quivering as I gingerly make my way to the car. I’m relieved my smile is intact but I’m feeling rather peculiar all the same.
I suppose feeling peculiar is to be expected if you consider WBV machines vibrate at a rate of 30 MHZ to 50 MHz (or cycles a second), depending on the setting. It’s an alarming range, and several experts say anything higher than 35 MHz is outside the safety zone.
They say rates higher than this can lead to acute discomfort and focal pain in joints, as well as induced alterations in visual perception and an impaired ability to move your eyes smoothly, accurately and efficiently – the skills needed to read from line to line or word to word and also to follow a ball with your eyes.
But although jiggling and shaking at a high frequency is a bizarre fitness concept the idea has scientifically sound origins. WBV training was conceived about 40 years ago when Russian scientists investigated its use to prevent cosmonauts from losing muscle tone when exposed to zero gravity.
From there the use of WBV spread. Russian ballet dancers found vibration training enhanced strength and flexibility and helped them recover from injury.
By 1999 Dutch Olympic trainer Guus van Meer was using Russian research to develop the vibrating fitness machines we know today. A decade later these machines are to the modern health-and-fitness culture what the hula hoop was to 1950s fad culture.
Physiotherapists and biokineticists use the machines for injury rehabilitation, competitive athletes use them to boost strength, beauticians use them for weight loss and doctors use them to fight osteoporosis.
In recent years aggressive marketing has fueled the popularity of vibration platforms as the general public has become hooked on the concept of getting the benefits of a full workout in a third of the time.
But beware: that top-of-the-range machine in your biokineticist’s rooms is not the same as the freebie you may be offered with a new cellphone contract. Cheaper models are generally inferior, with smaller plates and less powerful motors. They also lack the build-quality and reliability of expensive machines made by reputable companies.
So, what’s the buzz around WBV?
The idea is that the vibrations activate the muscles throughout the body in an attempt to maintain balance. WBV devotees claim this brings a range of benefits including pain reduction, improved sleep, anti-ageing effects, cellulite reduction, enhanced bone-growth and even improved libido and reduced acne.
Researchers at the American space agency Nasa also say the vibrations help to build muscle, fight osteoporosis, repair damaged tissue and improve mood through the release of hormones.
But not everyone agrees. In fact, sceptical scientists point to a lack of long-term data and some pretty worrying warnings. One such scientist is Professor Clinton Rubin, a biomedical engineering expert at the State University of New York.
According to Rubin the high vibration frequency can cause cartilage damage, blurred vision, hearing loss and even brain damage – particularly if the machine is overused or used outside the safe zone.
Some researchers are also concerned that high-amplitude vibrations send jarring waves through the body, which can make it dangerous over time. Pretoria-based neurologist Dr Manesh Pillay is circumspect.
“There’s a real research deficit as to the benefits and side effects of these machines,” he says. “At first glance there’s considerable literature, covering vibration therapy’s use in a variety of settings including orthopaedics, neurology and sports medicine. But most of these studies are small-scale and far from conclusive. There’s no literature on the applications in a medical environment and there’s no conclusive proof of these benefits.”
However, Pillay adds, there’s no evidence to support the theory that high-amplitude vibrations are dangerous or that they cause cartilage and brain damage. In short there simply hasn’t been enough thorough, consistent and ongoing research yet – and what research there has been has delivered contradictory results.
Nick Grantham of the English Institute of Sport is one of the few experts to have thoroughly assessed the research into vibration training (visit www.sportsinjurybulletin.com for the full study).
According to Grantham more than 15 papers on the performance-enhancement aspect of WBV training were published between 1998 and 2005 – and the results differed widely.
“Some studies have found little or no significant performance gains,” Grantham says. “But for every paper that fails to show improvements there are several that show vibration training in a more positive light, with beneficial adaptations such as increased muscular power, flexibility, strength, balance and hormone-release.”
While this research is “still in its infancy . . . anyone using this technique will be doing so with their fingers firmly crossed behind their backs”.
Dr Pillay agrees, adding, “I think WBV might turn out to be a useful clinical tool but only once we fully understand how it works and how to use it safely.”
Someone who finds vibration training particularly useful is local professional triathlete and ironman Raynard Tissink, who’s sponsored by Power Plate. Raynard has nothing but praise for the machines, although he sees them as supplementary rather than stand-alone training tools.
“At the moment I use the machine twice a week,” he says. He also spends up to 40 hours a week swimming, cycling and running. “I’d never be able to be a competitive triathlete by doing WBV alone and anyone who knows anything about the sport will know that. But it has helped improve my strength on both the running and biking disciplines.”
Of course, Raynard is a high-level athlete in tip-top health and was given a specific training programme with regular updates on new techniques. “You do need to know how to use the machine correctly, and I think an uninformed person can cause injury to themselves,” he notes.
Tracey-Lee van Wyk (42) considers herself one of these people. She was paralysed on one side after a spinal cord injury 10 years ago and also suffers from fibromyalgia, a debilitating chronic illness characterised by aches, pains, stiffness, soft-tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances.
After seeing adverts for WBV training Tracey- Lee thought it might help her build strength and lose the weight she gained after her accident. “I answered an ad for sessions at a beauty salon,” she says. “I had one brief session with an instructor who basically told me where to switch the machine on and off. I asked about the implications for my spinal cord injury and was told this would be perfect for me. I wasn’t informed about any possible risks.”
After eight weeks of unsupervised half-hour sessions three times a week Tracey-Lee started experiencing blackouts.
“The first time I thought it was a panic attack,” she says. But the episodes became more severe and frequent. “I eventually went to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with petit mal epilepsy. I didn’t connect it to the training and didn’t even think to mention it.”
Instead Tracey-Lee increased her vibration training to five times a week. “Eventually the blackouts were so bad I had an EEG and a CAT scan but these revealed nothing and I was put on epilepsy medication. Only when I began having seizures so regularly that I was afraid to drive did I stop the training.”
Tracey-Lee was on epilepsy medication for a year but has been off it since December and has had no further seizures. She also hasn’t used the machine again. “If I had epilepsy it would’ve returned after going off the meds,” she says. “So my doctor says by a process of elimination we can pretty safely say the training was the cause. I’m convinced it was the training, and my physiotherapist, psychiatrist and orthopaedic surgeon agree.”
So it seems WBV can elicit either a love-it or hate-it response. But the small common ground occupied by nay-sayers and supporters alike is that users need to be aware of the potential risks.
In fact, even the manufacturers insist prospective users be made aware of these risks and have a medical assessment before starting training. Of course, these precautions are difficult to supervise. And that’s where the real danger lies.
Many sceptics think vibration training isn’t necessarily bad in all forms and applications, but they frequently blame over-use, inadequate candidate screening, poor quality machines (such as ones that simply wobble from side to side), insufficiently trained instructors and poor or absent supervision for the possible dangers and damage.
And, as the machines’ popularity and accessibility increase, so do the numbers of people suffering injury – particularly as prices plummet and cheaper, less-sound machines become generally available.
Pietermaritzburg-based biokineticist André Pienaar specialises in the rehabilitation of back problems. A vibration platform machine (made by Enraf, a company in the Netherlands that has specialised in manufacturing rehab equipment for 80 years) can be used in his practice – but only under supervision and in a supplementary way.
“Maybe I’m old-fashioned,” Pienaar says, “but I’ve seen fads come and go. There’s currently a lot of marketing hype around vibration therapy and, while there are definite benefits, some of these machines can do a great deal of harm and even be downright dangerous. There’s no way an R8 000 machine can have the mechanical sophistication or research behind it as one from a reputable company that comes at a far higher price.”
What’s more, the supposed “scientific” claims made by manufacturers can be baffling to lay people and even contradictory. Justin Durandt of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa’s (SSISA) High Performance Unit says the majority of studies offered as evidence of the benefits of whole body vibration mean very little.
“Most of the evidence uses untrained, inactive people as its starting point and then shows their ‘improvements’, ” he says. “Fact is, these people would show improvement if they did any form of training – even gentle jogging.
“Certainly there are merits to vibration training,” Durandt concedes, “but one can achieve the same end through other types of training, without the expense.
“There’s no doubt it improves strength but other claims – such as weight loss or improved cardio function – hasn’t been satisfactorily proved to date.
“That said, I believe it has its place – but in a properly conceptualised programme that outlines minimum guidelines, makes users aware of risks, screens them before starting and starts from a beginner’s level.”
Interestingly, SSISA doesn’t use WBV machines. Why? “Because we haven’t seen the results of any clinical trials that convince us this product is an essential requirement,” Professor Tim Noakes says. He’s the Discovery Health professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Cape Town and director of the MRC/UCT research unit for exercise, science and sports medicine at SSISA.
“Once the manufacturers have undertaken controlled clinical trials and published them in reputable scientific journals we’d be able to evaluate the claims. In the absence of such trials we really can’t say anything that has scientific credibility.”
Shake it safely
1 Get help
Anyone with orthopaedic injuries should avoid the machines or use them only under supervision of a biokineticist or a trainer with an understanding of postural awareness. Even if you’re unaware of any injury use the machine only if you know how to maintain a “safe”, supported body posture or are training with a practitioner who can teach you to hold the right posture.
2 Keep your sessions short
Keep it under 30 minutes and at a vibration level of 35 MHz. It isn’t yet documented what the safe duration of a session on the plate is. And I recommend users don’t exceed the safe zone of 35 MHz – even though the plates offer higher frequencies.
3 Perfect your posture
If you have any of the following conditions avoid whole body vibration training or consult a physician with knowledge of the machines:
If you’re in any doubt whatsoever get checked out by a GP first.
What Power Plate says …
Brink Eksteen, head of research at Power Plate South Africa, answers a few pressing questions
1 What is the real value of the Power Plate (PP)?
It’s the future of exercise: quick, easy and effective, providing comprehensive results in terms of fitness, health, beauty and performance.
2 What about the alleged dangers and risks of Whole Body Vibration Training (WBVT)?
WBVT, or acceleration training, as provided by the PP, is extremely safe. In fact, Power Plate International don’t exclude anyone from using the machine. PP training is a form of exercise, so if you’re able to do exercise you can use the PP. Yes, some people need special supervision but this applies to any other form of exercise – it’s no different for the PP.
3 How is THE PP different from other WBV machines?
People use other kinds of vibration machines and automatically think of them as a Power Plate. There’s a huge difference in the way the PP vibrates compared with most other cheap machines.
The PP uses a three-dimensional pattern where the whole platform moves forward and backward, side to side, and up and down 25 to 50 times a second (frequency) and the amplitude of the movement is just 2,5 mm to 5 mm. The movement pattern, frequency and amplitude have all been scientifically determined to be the most effective and safest form of vibration available, exploiting the body’s natural reflexes in a subtle and comfortable way.
When the PP is on you can’t see it moving, while most of the imitation machines use a much more violent form of vibration that literally shakes the whole body and places strain on the pelvis, spine and organs.
4 What are THE PP’s documented risks?
The risk is minimal, as long as the client performs the correct exercises under the correct supervision. Anyone with a medical condition (such as back injury, knee replacement, heart problems or diabetes) should follow specific procedures when starting an exercise programme. If they do the wrong exercises for their specific condition or train at an excessive intensity they are at risk of developing complications. The list of contra-indications is just a way to inform the public anyone shouldn’t just jump on a PP and do what they want. The vibration is safe but what you do on the PP is important.
5 Why is the PP more expensive than other machines?
Power Plate as a company has years of development and ongoing research behind them to ensure it offers the best equipment with sound scientific backup. There are only a few machines on the market that offer the correct type of vibration, and they’re more expensive than imitation machines. The company also offers full back-up in terms of training and servicing.
What the users say
Isabelle Luker (58), Umhlanga Rocks
Two years ago I did a Power Plate course with a personal trainer three times a week for five months. I had quite a long break after that and then my new gym got Power Plates. I hopped on and put the speed at “medium”. The jolt shook my eyeballs! Consequently, I developed posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), a condition where the vitreous in the centre of the eyeball pulls against the retina which starts to detach and can lead to blindness. The incident happened on 27 December and my PVD hasn’t improved yet. If you decide to use these machines, proceed with caution. It’s essential you start at the lowest speed, even if you’ve done it before. That was my mistake. I must also note I’ve been with a personal trainer for two months now without doing vibration training and my muscle tone is better than when I used the Power Plate for five months.
Kate Turner (28), Johannesburg
I’ve done about five Power Plate sessions of about 10 minutes each at a Virgin Active gym and all have been unsupervised. I’ve used the machine after workouts and it’s good fun to stand and “rest” for 10 minutes while your body gets a good jiggle. Yes, I’ve lost 3 kg, but I think it’s due to my 90-minute sessions on the treadmill and a strict diet. Overall I think the machine doesn’t do much. I’m really a sceptic.
Tony Mills (69), Port Elizabeth
I’m very active and for a time I was doing Power Plate three times a week for 30 minutes at a time in a small class with an instructor. I think the Power Plate has given me muscle tone in areas where I don’t use the muscles in my regular walking, hiking and canoeing. I also think my circulation has improved – and it does help the libido too. I’ve only had a positive experience but I’d advise people not to overdo it.
