BackgroundWhole body vibration training (WBV) is a new training program, which is safe
and effective. It can be followed by the public. However, data on the safety
and efficacy of vibration on myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury are
lacking.ObjectiveTo examine the effect of WBV on the tolerance of the myocardium to acute IR
injury in an experimental rat model.MethodsTwenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into control and vibration groups.
Vibration training consisted of vertical sinusoidal whole body vibration for
30 min per day, 6 days per week, for 1 or 3 weeks (WBV1 and WBV3 groups,
respectively). All the rats were submitted to myocardial IR injury.
Myocardial infarct size and ischemia-induced arrhythmias were assessed.
Differences between variables were considered significant when p <
0.05.ResultsNo differences were observed between the groups regarding the baseline
hemodynamic parameters. Infarct size was smaller in the experimental group
(control, 47 ± 2%; WBV1, 39 ± 2%; WBV3, 37 ± 2%; p <
0.05, vs. control). Vibration produced a significant decrease in the number
and duration of ventricular tachycardia (VT) episodes compared to the
control value. All ventricular fibrillation (VF) episodes in the vibration
groups were self-limited, while 33% of the rats in the control group died
due to irreversible VF (p = 0.02).ConclusionThe data showed that vibration training significantly increased cardiac
tolerance to IR injury in rats, as evidenced by reduction in the infarct
size and cardiac arrhythmias, and by facilitating spontaneous
defibrillation.