Abstract

Whole-Body Vibration Transmission Barefoot and with Shoes in Athletes and Sedentary Females
Nour Saade

Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) is used in various settings; a lack of consistency is noted in the set-up of individuals on these machines. Whether or not to wear shoes and which parameters to select are difficult questions to answer due to the lack of detailed biomechanical analysis of these conditions. The effects of footwear (shoe or barefoot) and athletic level (varsity athletes or sedentary) on acceleration were analyzed for the lower extremity and at the neck under different parameters (frequency and amplitude) while subjects performed a single-leg squat exercise. Thirty healthy college and university level athletes or sedentary females volunteered in this study. A two-by-two counterbalanced set-up was performed. The measures of acceleration at the different locations were analysed and compared using ANOVAs with a significance of p≤0.05. Results found variation of the acceleration between conditions to be dependent on parameters of vibration (amplitude and frequency). Footwear condition and level of training caused multiple differences in acceleration of certain axis at different locations without showing a consistent effect. These findings aid our understanding of vibration parameter effects on the human body and their interaction within each other. Further studies are warranted to improve our understanding of the global effects of vibration parameters.