Effect of acute whole-body vibration exercise with blood flow restriction on vascular endothelial growth factor response

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise with and without blood flow restriction (BFR) on heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) response. Ten physically inactive male adults participated in this study and completed WBV (frequency: 26 Hz; amplitude: 4 mm; 10 sets for 1 min, with 1-2 min of rest between sets) and WBV + BFR sessions in a repeated measures crossover design, with a 1-week interval separating the sessions. In the WBV + BFR session, participants wore a BFR device inflated to 140 mmHg on the proximal portion of the thigh muscle. Results indicated that WBV + BFR caused a greater HR response than WBV alone (p<.05). Neither WBV + BFR nor WBV sessions caused a significant change in SpO2 (p>.05). Only the WBV + BFR session caused a significant increase in the VEGF response (p<.05), and WBV + BFR elicited a significantly higher VEGF response than did WBV after exercise (p<.05). In conclusion, an acute bout of WBV + BFR exercise magnifies the HR response relative to WBV exercise and induces an increase in circulating VEGF values. These alterations seem unrelated to systematic SpO2.

Effects of whole body vibration training combined with blood flow restriction on muscle adaptation

“…Resistance exercise when combined with BFR pushes working muscles into a greater ischemic/hypoxic state, which in turn augments angiogenic gene expression, and has been speculated to elicit adaptations in muscle endurance (Jessee et al, 2018; Manimmanakorn et al, 2013). Although angiogenic biomarkers were not acquired in the current study, the WBV + BFR protocol employed corroborates a study conducted by Wu et al (2018) that documented circulating VEGF elevation after acute WBV + BFR exercise. Collectively, this might be indicative of enhanced muscle endurance due to increased VEGF values.…”

“…The WBV training protocol and vibration frequency applied at the beginning were adapted from previous studies (Bosco et al, 2000; Cai et al, 2018; Wu et al, 2018), because greater acute metabolic and neuromuscular responses were observed when external BFR was applied (Cai et al, 2018; Wu et al, 2018). Our study extended these acute results by employing an 8‐week training regimen to investigate whether WBV training combined with BFR would have an additive effect on muscle adaptation compared with WBV alone.…”

“…The participants then performed 10 sets of WBV, each for a 1‐min duration with a 1‐min rest between sets. After the fifth set, 2 min of rest was allowed (Cai et al, 2018; Wu et al, 2018). During the rest intervals, the participants were instructed to stand on the vibration platform.…”

“…Altogether, the evidence suggests that these types of BFR exercise yield superior muscle fitness adaptation compared with the same exercise performed without BFR (Abe et al, 2006; Kim et al, 2016; Natsume et al, 2015; Yasuda et al, 2016). Regarding WBV + BFR exercise, studies have demonstrated that people have a greater acute heart rate response (Wu, Chen, & Cai, 2018) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate contraction ([La]), muscle activation (Cai, Chen, & Wu, 2018), and satellite cell activation (Aguayo et al, 2016). Results of the aforementioned studies indicate that exposure to WBV + BFR may yield greater training potential in muscle fitness (e.g.…”

A narrative review of the effects of blood flow restriction on vascular structure and function

“…In some cases, blood flow restriction is combined with therapies such as whole body vibration [94][95][96][97], electrical stimulation [98], and passive movement [99]. While the primary outcomes of these studies are also mainly muscle size and function, we believe these studies are important to discuss as they may aid in the development of investigations into the effect of blood flow restriction combined with other therapies on vascular adaptations.…”