The Study
Whole-Body Vibration Training Improves Heart Rate Variability and Body Fat Percentage in Obese Hispanic Postmenopausal Women.
This study tried out a special vibrating platform on a small group of women and saw that their heart and body fat changed after 6 weeks. But it didn't prove the platform caused the changes — maybe they ate better or moved more without realizing it. So we can say it's linked to improvements, but not that it definitely caused them.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if standing on a vibrating platform for six weeks helps overweight older women's hearts work better and lose some fat.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — better heart rate variability means a healthier, more balanced nervous system, which lowers heart disease risk in this high-risk group.
- 2After 6 weeks, women who used the vibrating platform lost body fat and their heart rate variability improved by a moderate amount (r=0.63).
- 3The control group didn't change.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of aging and physical activity
Year
2017
Authors
G. Severino, M. Sanchez-Gonzalez, M. Walters-Edwards, M. Nordvall, O. Chernykh, Jason Adames, A. Wong
Related Content
Claims (6)
People with lower body fat tend to have a slower resting heart rate and greater heart rate variability.
In obese Hispanic postmenopausal women, a moderate relationship exists between losing body fat and improved regulation of heart rate variability through whole-body vibration training, with fat loss contributing to changes in autonomic nervous system activity.
Obese Hispanic postmenopausal women who performed whole-body vibration training for six weeks experienced a measurable decrease in body fat percentage, while those who did not perform the training showed no change.
In obese Hispanic postmenopausal women, six weeks of whole-body vibration training increases heart rate variability and decreases body fat percentage, and the amount of fat lost is moderately related to the improvement in heart rate variability.
In obese Hispanic postmenopausal women, six weeks of whole-body vibration training lowers resting heart rate and increases heart rate variability, reflecting greater parasympathetic activity and less sympathetic activity.
Six weeks of whole-body vibration training does not change muscle strength or lean body mass in obese Hispanic women who are postmenopausal.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.