Whole body vibration and blood glucose levels in elderly people: a pilot study

AIMS: To evaluate the effect of whole-body vibration therapy on blood glucose levels of elderly people using a vibratory platform.METHODS: The study included volunteers of both genders, aged between 60 and 75 years, without gait disorders or motor disabilities. Individuals with systemic disease, obesity, conflicting treatments, tobacco users, and those who could not understand the maneuvers were excluded. The study consisted of a single session of whole-body vibration. Heart rate, respiratory rate, arterial blood pressure, and blood glucose were obtained for each participant at baseline, immediately before the procedure. Volunteers were then placed in the standing position on the ground of an oscillating platform and treated for 10 min with a frequency of vibration set at 20 Hz (displacement ±6 mm; orbital vibration). Immediately after the whole-body vibration session, all data were collected again. Comparisons were made between baseline and post-treatment data. Normality was tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Data were analyzed using paired Student’s t-test or Wilcoxon test as appropriate. The level of significance was set at p<0.05.RESULTS: Eleven participants (seven men, four women) participated of the study. The mean age was 64.18±4.37 years. The results showed a significant decrease in the glycemic indexes (p=0.016) and an increase in the respiratory rate (p=0.047) after the whole-body vibration session.CONCLUSIONS: Healthy elderly subjected for 10 minutes to whole-body vibration set at 20 Hz presented reduction of blood glucose levels and increasing of respiratory rate.