306
D. Vl˘ adaia et al.
1 Introduction
The training of any athlete takes place in three distinct phases: warming, proper
training and relaxation after effort. Warming consists of all measures that allow for
an optimal state of physical and mental training before a training or competition. A
first effect of warming is the increase in the temperature of the internal organs, which
ensures good tissues irrigation, a decrease in the psychic tension and an increase in the
attention, coordination and precision of the movements. Another effect of warming is
the increase in the temperature of the muscles, skin and joints, providing an increase
in muscle elasticity and viscosity, and an increase in synovial fluid at the joints.
Warming is a stage of transition between rest and effort, playing an important role in
preventing injuries. In addition to classical warm-up exercises: light running, fanders,
step added, stretching, shoulder rotation, squatting, push-ups, and more, running lane
or body exposure to vibrations for short time is used more and more often.
For a long time, only the negative effects of human body exposure to high
frequency vibrations and/or large amplitudes were observed, which made the human
body subject to accelerations, several times greater than gravitational acceleration.
This, noting the obvious possibility of the resonance of some internal organs, made
the joints subject to shocks we can say some kind of internal impacts, which in time
led to their destruction.
Over the last decade, many studies have postulated that the whole-body vibration exercise (WBV) can be used as a warm-up procedure. The lack of consistent
reports and the lack of standardized protocols make this warm-up method full of
contradictions between those who have developed the scientific literature.
The warm-up phase of training and of competitions is essential to maximize the
athletes’ muscle performance [1], and the investigation of new warm-up procedures
is of great interest. This type of warm-up, using the WBV method, has become very
common and has been promoted as an active warm-up procedure [2, 3], mainly based
on its effectiveness to rapidly improve muscular performance, even if there are many
skeptics [4, 5].
The WBV heating exercise consists in placing the body, generally in a vertical
position, on a vibrant platform from which the mechanical energy is transferred to
the body through the heels of the feet. The viscoelastic behavior of tendons and lower
limb muscles, mainly the elastic component, causes this mechanical oscillation to
induce changes in their length, also causing reflex muscle contractions [6]. As a
result of these contractions, the electromyographic activity of lower limb muscles
is higher than if the body is at rest [7, 8]. On the other hand, the viscos component
generates damping, which results in the release of heat by friction the muscle fibers
[9]. As opposed to passive and active procedures, this method causes metabolic and
cardiovascular changes resulting in increased muscle and joint temperature [10].
The effects of vibrations on ankle spasticity, balance and walking ability in patients
with incomplete spinal cord injury at cervical level were investigated [11] and led
to improved posture and gait of patients who had fractures [12, 13] and also to the
performance of football players [14].
D. Vl˘ adaia et al.
1 Introduction
The training of any athlete takes place in three distinct phases: warming, proper
training and relaxation after effort. Warming consists of all measures that allow for
an optimal state of physical and mental training before a training or competition. A
first effect of warming is the increase in the temperature of the internal organs, which
ensures good tissues irrigation, a decrease in the psychic tension and an increase in the
attention, coordination and precision of the movements. Another effect of warming is
the increase in the temperature of the muscles, skin and joints, providing an increase
in muscle elasticity and viscosity, and an increase in synovial fluid at the joints.
Warming is a stage of transition between rest and effort, playing an important role in
preventing injuries. In addition to classical warm-up exercises: light running, fanders,
step added, stretching, shoulder rotation, squatting, push-ups, and more, running lane
or body exposure to vibrations for short time is used more and more often.
For a long time, only the negative effects of human body exposure to high
frequency vibrations and/or large amplitudes were observed, which made the human
body subject to accelerations, several times greater than gravitational acceleration.
This, noting the obvious possibility of the resonance of some internal organs, made
the joints subject to shocks we can say some kind of internal impacts, which in time
led to their destruction.
Over the last decade, many studies have postulated that the whole-body vibration exercise (WBV) can be used as a warm-up procedure. The lack of consistent
reports and the lack of standardized protocols make this warm-up method full of
contradictions between those who have developed the scientific literature.
The warm-up phase of training and of competitions is essential to maximize the
athletes’ muscle performance [1], and the investigation of new warm-up procedures
is of great interest. This type of warm-up, using the WBV method, has become very
common and has been promoted as an active warm-up procedure [2, 3], mainly based
on its effectiveness to rapidly improve muscular performance, even if there are many
skeptics [4, 5].
The WBV heating exercise consists in placing the body, generally in a vertical
position, on a vibrant platform from which the mechanical energy is transferred to
the body through the heels of the feet. The viscoelastic behavior of tendons and lower
limb muscles, mainly the elastic component, causes this mechanical oscillation to
induce changes in their length, also causing reflex muscle contractions [6]. As a
result of these contractions, the electromyographic activity of lower limb muscles
is higher than if the body is at rest [7, 8]. On the other hand, the viscos component
generates damping, which results in the release of heat by friction the muscle fibers
[9]. As opposed to passive and active procedures, this method causes metabolic and
cardiovascular changes resulting in increased muscle and joint temperature [10].
The effects of vibrations on ankle spasticity, balance and walking ability in patients
with incomplete spinal cord injury at cervical level were investigated [11] and led
to improved posture and gait of patients who had fractures [12, 13] and also to the
performance of football players [14].