Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2006; 27(7): 553-559
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-872903
Training & Testing

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Highly Demanding Resistive Vibration Exercise Program is Tolerated During 56 Days of Strict Bed-Rest[1]

J. Rittweger1 , 2 , D. Belavy3 , P. Hunek1 , U. Gast1 , H. Boerst1 , B. Feilcke1 , G. Armbrecht1 , E. Mulder4 , H. Schubert5 , C. Richardson6 , A. de Haan7 , 2 , D. F. Stegeman4 , H. Schiessl5 , D. Felsenberg1
  • 1Centre for Muscle and Bone Research, Charité - Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
  • 2Institute for Biophysical and Clinical Research into Human Movement, Manchester Metropolitan University, Alsager, United Kingdom
  • 3Department of IT and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  • 4Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Human Movement Science, Department of Neurology/Clinical Neurophysiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  • 5Stratec Medizintechnik, Pforzheim, Germany
  • 6Department of Physiotherapy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  • 7Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted after revision: August 20, 2005

Publication Date:
24 November 2005 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Several studies have tried to find countermeasures against musculoskeletal de-conditioning during bed-rest, but none of them yielded decisive results. We hypothesised that resistive vibration exercise (RVE) might be a suitable training modality. We have therefore carried out a bed-rest study to evaluate its feasibility and efficacy during 56 days of bed-rest. Twenty healthy male volunteers aged 24 to 43 years were recruited and, after medical check-ups, randomised to a non-exercising control (Ctrl) group or a group that performed RVE 11 times per week. Strict bed-rest was controlled by video surveillance. The diet was controlled. RVE was performed in supine position, with a static force component of about twice the body weight and a smaller dynamic force component. RVE comprised four different units (squats, heel raises, toe raises, kicks), each of which lasted 60 - 100 seconds. Pre and post exercise levels of lactate were measured once weekly. Body weight was measured daily on a bed scale. Pain questionnaires were obtained in regular intervals during and after the bed-rest. Vibration frequency was set to 19 Hz at the beginning and progressed to 25.9 Hz (SD 1.9) at the end of the study, suggesting that the dynamic force component increased by 90 %. The maximum sustainable exercise time for squat exercise increased from 86 s (SD 21) on day 11 of the BR to 176 s (SD 73) on day 53 (p = 0.006). On the same days, post-exercise lactate levels increased from 6.9 mmol/l (SD2.3) to 9.2 mmol/l (SD 3.5, p = 0.01). On average, body weight was unchanged in both groups during bed-rest, but single individuals in both groups depicted significant weight changes ranging from - 10 % to + 10 % (p < 0.001). Lower limb pain was more frequent during bed-rest in the RVE subjects than in Ctrl (p = 0.035). During early recovery, subjects of both groups suffered from muscle pain to a comparable extent, but foot pain was more common in Ctrl than in RVE (p = 0.013 for plantar pain, p = 0.074 for dorsal foot pain). Our results indicate that RVE is feasible twice daily during bed-rest in young healthy males, provided that one afternoon and one entire day per week are free. Exercise progression, mainly by progression of vibration frequency, yielded increases in maximum sustainable exercise time and blood lactate. In conclusion, RVE as performed in this study, appears to be safe.

Key words

Berlin Bed-Rest Study - microgravity - de-conditioning - vibration - immobilisation - human physiology

1 This work was performed at the Centre for Muscle and Bone Research, Charité, Berlin.

References

  • 1 Alkner B A, Tesch P A. Knee extensor and plantar flexor muscle size and function in response to 90 d bed rest with or without resistance exercise.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004;  93 294-305
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Armstrong R B. Mechanisms of exercise-induced delayed onset muscular soreness: a brief review.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1984;  16 529-538
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Baum K, Essfeld D. Origin of back pain during bedrest: A new hypothesis.  Eur J Med Res. 1999;  4 389-393
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Berg H E, Tesch P A. A gravity-independent ergometer to be used for resistance training in space.  Aviat Space Environ Med. 1994;  65 752-756
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Brukner P, Khan K. Clinical Sports Medicine. Sydney; McGraw-Hill 1993
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 6 Cardinale M, Pope M H. The effects of whole body vibration on humans: dangerous or advantageous?.  Acta Physiol Hung. 2003;  90 195-206
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Downie W W, Leatham P A, Rhind V M, Wright V, Branco J A, Anderson J A. Studies with pain rating scales.  Ann Rheum Dis. 1978;  37 378-381
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Evans D J, Pusey H C. Shock and vibration standards. Harris CM, Piersol AG Harris' Shock and Vibration Handbook. New York; McGraw-Hill 2002: 19.1-19.8
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 9 Ferretti G, Berg H E, Minetti A E, Moia C, Rampichini S, Narici M V. Maximal instantaneous muscular power after prolonged bed rest in humans.  J Appl Physiol. 2001;  90 431-435
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Frey I, Berg A, Grathwohl D, Keul J. Freiburger Fragebogen zur körperlichen Aktivität - Entwicklung, Prüfung und Anwendung.  Sozial- und Präventivmedizin. 1999;  44 55-64
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Gunga H ‐C, Kirsch K A, Rocker L, Maillet A, Gharib C. Body weight and body composition during sixty days of isolation.  Adv Space Biol Med. 1996;  5 39-53
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Harris J A, Benedict F G. A Biometric Study of Basal Metabolism in Man. Washington, DC; Carnegie Institute of Washington 1919
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 13 Hutchinson K J, Watenpaugh D E, Murthy G, Convertino V A, Hargens A R. Back pain during 6 degrees head-down tilt approximates that during actual microgravity.  Aviat Space Environ Med. 1995;  66 256-259
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Kakurin L I, Lobachik V I, Mikhailov V M, Senkevich Y A. Antiorthostatic hypokinesia as a method of weightlessness simulation.  Aviat Space Environ Med. 1976;  47 1083-1086
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Kershner D, Binhammer R. Intrathecal ligaments and nerve root tension: possible sources of lumbar pain during spaceflight.  Aviat Space Environ Med. 2004;  75 354-358
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Kraft N O, Lyons T J, Binder H, Inoue N, Ohshima H, Sekiguchi C. Exercise load index and changes in body weight during long-duration confinement in an isolated environment.  Aviat Space Environ Med. 2003;  74 348-353
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 LeBlanc A, Lin C, Shackelford L. et al . Muscle volume, MRI relaxation times (T2), and body composition after spaceflight.  J Appl Physiol. 2000;  89 2158-2164
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 McGill S. Low Back Disorders. Evidence Based Prevention and Rehabilitation. Champaigne, IL; Human Kinetics 2002
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 19 Muir J M, Andrew M, Hirsh J. et al . Histomorphometric analysis of the effects of standard heparin on trabecular bone in vivo.  Blood. 1996;  88 1314-1320
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Rittweger J, Beller G, Felsenberg D. Acute physiological effects of exhaustive whole-body vibration exercise in man.  Clin Physiol. 2000;  20 134-142
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Rittweger J, Frost H M, Schiessl H. et al . Muscle atrophy and bone loss after 90 days of bed rest and the effects of flywheel resistive exercise and pamidronate: Results from the LTBR study.  Bone. 2005;  36 1019-1029
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Rittweger J, Just K, Kautzsch K, Reeg P, Felsenberg D. Treatment of chronic lower back pain with lumbar extension and whole-body vibration exercise: a randomized controlled trial.  Spine. 2002;  27 1829-1834
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Rittweger J, Schiessl H, Felsenberg D. Oxygen-uptake during whole body vibration exercise: Comparison with squatting as a slow voluntary movement.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001;  86 169-173
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Rubin C, Turner A S, Mallinckrodt C, Jerome C, McLeod K, Bain S. Mechanical strain, induced noninvasively in the high-frequency domain, is anabolic to cancellous bone, but not cortical bone.  Bone. 2002;  30 445-452
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Shackelford L C, LeBlanc A D, Driscoll T B. et al . Resistance exercise as a countermeasure to disuse-induced bone loss.  J Appl Physiol. 2004;  97 119-129
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Srinivasan S, Weimer D A, Agans S C, Bain S D, Gross T S. Low-magnitude mechanical loading becomes osteogenic when rest is inserted between each load cycle.  J Bone Miner Res. 2002;  17 1613-1620
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Styf J R, Ballard R E, Fechner K, Watenpaugh D E, Kahan N J, Hargens A R. Height increase, neuromuscular function, and back pain during 6 degrees head-down tilt with traction.  Aviat Space Environ Med. 1997;  68 24-29
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Verschueren S M, Roelants M, Delecluse C, Swinnen S, Vanderschueren D, Boonen S. Effect of 6-month whole body vibration training on hip density, muscle strength, and postural control in postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled pilot study.  J Bone Miner Res. 2004;  19 352-359
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 29 Ward K, Alsop C, Caulton J, Rubin C, Adams J, Mughal Z. Low magnitude mechanical loading is osteogenic in children with disabling conditions.  J Bone Miner Res. 2004;  19 360-369
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 30 Watanabe Y, Ohshima H, Mizuno K. et al . Intravenous pamidronate prevents femoral bone loss and renal stone formation during 90-day bed rest.  J Bone Miner Res. 2004;  19 1771-1778
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 31 Weerakkody N S, Percival P, Hickey M W. et al . Effects of local pressure and vibration on muscle pain from eccentric exercise and hypertonic saline.  Pain. 2003;  105 425-435
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 32 Yu J G, Carlsson L, Thornell L E. Evidence for myofibril remodeling as opposed to myofibril damage in human muscles with DOMS: an ultrastructural and immunoelectron microscopic study.  Histochem Cell Biol. 2004;  121 219-227
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar

1 This work was performed at the Centre for Muscle and Bone Research, Charité, Berlin.

Jörn Rittweger

Institute for Biophysical and Clinical Research into Human Movement
Manchester Metropolitan University at Cheshire

Hassall Rd

Alsager, Cheshire

ST7 2HL

United Kingdom

Email: j.rittweger@mmu.ac.uk