Local Vibration Therapy, Oxygen Resaturation Rate, and Muscle Strength After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Context: Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is associated with transient reductions in strength and athletic performance. Muscle microvascular damage and disruption of blood flow are believed to be among the causes. Previous researchers reported modulations in muscle blood flow, oxygenation, and strength with vibration therapy (VT). Objective: To observe whether local VT alleviated the impairments and hemodynamic changes associated with EIMD. Design: Controlled laboratory study. Setting: Laboratory and public gymnasium. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 10 healthy participants (6 men and 4 women; age - 38 +/- 15 years; height = 1.72 +/- 0.48 m; mass = 72.0 +/- 10.4 kg) were randomized into experimental (VT) and control groups. Interventions: Both groups performed 10 sets of 10 eccentric wrist flexions at 70% of their 1-repetition maximum to induce muscle damage. Subsequent assessment of flexor carpus ulnaris muscle oxygen saturation and wrist-flexor strength occurred at 1, 24, and 48 hours postexercise. The experimental group underwent 10 minutes of local VT (45 Hz) starting 1 hour postexercise and applied twice daily (separated by 8 hours) for 48 hours during habitual waking hours. The control group received no local VT. Main Outcome Measure(s): Resting muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2), grip strength, and muscle oxygen desaturation and resaturation rates. Results: No difference in SmO2 resaturation was evident over time (P > .05), but the VT group had a greater resaturation rate than the control group at 1 hour (P- .007, d -2.6), 24 hours (P = .001, d = 3.1), and 4.8 hours (P= .035, d = 1.7) post-EIMD. No difference in grip strength was observed pre-EIMD, but the VT group demonstrated greater strength at 1 hour (P= .004), 24 hours (P- .031), and 48 hours (P- .021) post-EIMD than did the control group. Conclusions: Local VT successfully attenuated the effects of EIMD and increased SmO2 resaturation in flexor carpus ulnaris muscles. Including local VT as part of a recovery protocol post-EIMD could be beneficial for rehabilitation and strength training purposes.