| title: | The effects of vibration as a countermeasure to sarcopenia |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6530 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | University of Tartu |
| head of project: | Mehis Viru |
| duration: | 01.01.2005 - 31.12.2008 |
| description: | The aim of the project is to determine the effect of whole body vibration on developing and maintaining skeletal muscle function in subjects of different age. The acute and chronic effects of whole body vibration on skeletal muscle strength and power abilities and subjects' hormonal profile are followed. Vibration exercise is a novel form of exercise intervention characterized by the application to the whole body of sinusoidal oscillations by means of vibrating plates - a system called Nemes. Previous studies have found that this particular form of exercise is particularly effective in enhancing muscle strength and power in humans after acute and chronic bouts and that the acute application of only ten minutes of whole body vibrations determined a marked increase in serum testosterone and growth hormone levels. These findings suggest that a chronic program of vibration exercise could be effective in improving force-generating capacity in humans and could represent an effective countermeasure to muscle atrophy. The find out the most effective ways of vibration training different frequencies (20-50 Hz) and different application lengths (5-15 min) are used. One of the widely recognized and reported effects of ageing is a decline in neuromuscular performance and in muscle mass; the effects of this decline can be such that the normal activities of daily living are restricted and undermine an individual's independence. The condition of sarcopenia, a reduction in muscle strength and muscle mass, has been reported across a range of aged populations. Considering previous results with young individuals, it seems that this novel exercise intervention could represent an effective non-pharmachological intervention to sarcopenia. The strong effect of vibration on neural pathways connected to force generation suggests its use also for other purposes - medicine, fitness, sports training, rehabilitation. It is then necessary to conduct a series of studies in order to define the most effective application of whole body vibration exercise for different populations. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Tamara Janson | University of Tartu | docent | |
| 2. | Peep Päll | University of Tartu | lecturer | |
| 3. | Atko-Meeme Viru | University of Tartu | professor emeritus | |
| 4. | Mehis Viru | University of Tartu | docent | |
| 5. | Anne Volver | University of Tartu | Project leader | |