EFFECTS OF 6-WEEK WHOLE BODY VIBRATION TRAINING ON THE REFLEX RESPONSE OF THE ANKLE MUSCLES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background: The ligament sprain of the lateral ankle is the most frequent injury that occurs when participating in sports. Whole body vibration (WBV) is a training method that has been recently introduced as a rehabilitative tool for treatment of athletes. It has been hypothesized that the transmission of mechanical oscillations from the vibrating platform may lead to physiological changes in muscle spindles, joint mechanoreceptors, as well as improve balance. Propose: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a 6-week WBV training program on the reflex response mechanism of the peroneus longus (PL), peroneus brevis (PB) and anterior tibialis (AT) muscles in ankle inversion at 30 from horizontal, in a static position. Methods: This study was a single-blinded and randomized controlled trial. Forty-four healthy, physically active participants were randomly split into two groups: the experimental group (n = 26) (the WBV training) and control group (n = 18). Reaction time (RT), maximum electromyographic (EMG) peak (peak EMG), time to the maximum peak EMG (peak EMG time) and reflex electrical activity of all the muscles were assessed before and after the WBV training through surface EMG. Results: After 6-weeks WBV training, there were no significant changes in the variables analysed for all the muscles involved. Conclusion: A 6-week WBV training does not improve the reflex response mechanism of the lateral stabilizing muscles of the ankle.