Good Vibrations? A New Study Will Find Out
12/01/2007

Does a new trend in exercise have life-saving potential for overweight children?  A new study looks into whole-body vibration training.
By Veronica Jauriqui

A new study by the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy is investigating the effects of whole-body vibration exercise on overweight Latino children at risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The study, led by David Erceg, a PhD candidate in Biokinesiology, just gained significant support from Power Plate America, the company that manufactures the whole-body vibration device.  The company has provided the equipment and will fund study costs up to $45,000.

The latest trend in personal fitness—used by Madonna, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Seattle Seahawk quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to name a few—whole-body vibration exercise consists of a vibrating platform two- by three-feet wide that sends 25 to 50 hertz of vibration through the body.  As the individual engages in lunges, sit-ups or squats, the added vibrations force muscles to contract and stabilize the body, enhancing the exercise outcomes. 

Erceg will measure this technique’s affect on blood glucose levels and insulin resistance in overweight Latino boys eight to ten years of age who are at significant risk of developing type 2, or adult onset, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors, like high cholesterol and hypertension.

“Some research alludes to the fact that this technique may reduce fat mass,” Erceg says. “This could prove to be a significant intervention method or exercise technique that can be used to reduce the risk of metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses.”

Subjects will participate in a 10-week intervention, performing a basic exercise routine while on the vibration device.  Erceg will compare results among this group, a group exercising without the device and a non-exercising control group.

He chose children of Latino descent because of their increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  In fact, a 2003 study conducted by the USC Keck School of Medicine found that a third of Latino adolescents are overweight and have at least one risk factor for diabetes or heart disease. 

“This is a serious health crisis, and has an especially strong impact on the communities that live around [the Health Science] campus,” Erceg says.  “This project I hope will reach out to this community and teach them ways to maintain a healthier lifestyle.”

The whole-body vibration device was developed in the 1960s for Russian cosmonauts to reduce muscle atrophy in outer space.  The technology has been shown to increase bone mineral density and improve strength. The equipment is becoming a mainstay at neighborhood gyms, and is part of the USC Trojan athletic department’s training equipment.

Erceg estimates the study will continue through the end of summer 2008. 

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