The acute effect of whole-body low-frequency vibration on countermovement vertical jump performance in college-aged men.

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of whole-body vibration on jump performance. A total of 21 college-aged men, 18-30 years, recreationally resistance trained, were exposed to a total of 4 different acute whole-body low-frequency vibration (WBLFV) protocols (conditions 1-4), performing 2 protocols per testing session in random order. Exposures were all performed using high-amplitude (peak-peak 4-6 mm) and either 30 or 50 Hz for 30 continuous seconds, or 3 exposures of 10 seconds with 1 minute between exposures. Three countermovement vertical jumps (CMVJs) were performed before vibration (testing phase 1 or Tp1 and J1 the highest of 3 attempts) and at 3 separate time points postvibration (Tp2-4). Jump height (cm), peak power (Pmax), peak power per kilogram of body mass (Pmax kg), mean power (Pav), and mean velocity (Vav) were recorded. Repeated measures analysis of variance and analysis of covariance revealed no significant condition (C) or jump (J) differences for CMVJ height (cm) (p > 0.05). Analysis of percent change (Δ%) for CMVJ height (cm) revealed a significant Condition × Jump interaction, C4, J3 > C1, J3 (p = 0.009, mean diff 4.12%). Analysis of Pmax and Pmax kg revealed no significant Condition, Jump, or Condition × Jump interaction for the raw data or percent change (p > 0.05). Analysis of Pav (W) revealed significant differences for Condition (p = 0.031) but not for Jump (p = 0.226). There was a strong trend toward significance for Condition × Jump interaction (p = 0.059). C4 > C3 (p = 0.043, mean diff 23.78 W) and C1 (p = 0.038, mean diff 32.03 W). Analysis of Vav (m·s) revealed no significant main effects for Condition or Jump (p > 0.05) but found a significant Condition × Jump interaction (p = 0.007). C4, J6 > C2, J6 (p = 0.014, mean diff 0.05 m·s), and C3, J6 (p = 0.020, 0.05 m·s). WBLFV applied intermittently using 50 Hz appears to be more effective than other protocols using 30 and 50 Hz in facilitating select measures of CMVJ performance over a 17-minute time period post-WBLFV exposure. Practical manipulation of such a WBLFV "dose" may be beneficial to strength and conditioning practitioners wanting to acutely facilitate CMVJ and slow stretch shortening cycle performance while minimizing exposure time.