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Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research
Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 747094, 8 pages
doi:10.1155/2011/747094
Systematically Controlling for the Influence of Age, Sex, Hertz and Time Post-Whole-Body Vibration Exposure on Four Measures of Physical Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Cross-Over Study
Physical Therapy Program, Department of Health & Sport Science, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469-2925, USA
Received 7 June 2011; Accepted 30 July 2011
Academic Editor: Fulvio Lauretani
Copyright © 2011 Harold L. Merriman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Though popular, there is little agreement on what whole-body vibration (WBV) parameters will optimize performance. This study aimed to clarify the effects of age, sex, hertz and time on four physical function indicators in community-dwelling older adults (). Participants were exposed to 2 min WBV per session at either 2 Hz or 26 Hz and outcome measures were recorded at 2, 20 and 40 min post-WBV. Timed get up-and-go and chair sit-and-reach performances improved post-WBV for both sexes, were significantly different between 2 Hz and 26 Hz treatments () and showed statistically significant interactions between age and gender (). Counter movement jump and timed one-legged stance performances showed a similar but non-significant response to 2 Hz and 26 Hz treatments, though male subjects showed a distinct trended response. Age and gender should be statistically controlled and both 2 Hz and 26 Hz exert a treatment effect.