Effects of whole-body vibration on heart rate variability: acute responses and training adaptations.

Author: Wong A1, Figueroa A2
Affiliation:
1Department of Health and Human Performance, Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
2Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Conference/Journal: Clin Physiol Funct Imaging.
Date published: 2018 May 18
Other: Special Notes: doi: 10.1111/cpf.12524. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 153


Heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive and practical measure of cardiac autonomic nervous system function, mainly the sympathetic and parasympathetic modulations of heart rate. A low HRV has been shown to be indicative of compromised cardiovascular health. Interventions that enhance HRV are therefore beneficial to cardiovascular health. Whole-body vibration (WBV) training has been proposed as an alternative time-efficient exercise intervention for the improvement of cardiovascular health. In this review, we discuss the effect of WBV both acute and after training on HRV. WBV training appears to be a useful therapeutic intervention to improve cardiac autonomic function in different populations, mainly through decreases in sympathovagal balance. Although the mechanisms by which WBV training improves symphathovagal balance are not yet well understood; enhancement of baroreflex sensitivity, nitric oxide bioavailability and angiotensin II levels seem to play an important role.

KEYWORDS: autonomic function; heart rate variability; passive vibration; vibration training; whole-body vibration

PMID: 29775234 DOI: 10.1111/cpf.12524

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