Resistive vibration exercise reduces lower limb muscle atrophy during 56-day bed-rest

• Published in: Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions Vol. 9; no. 4; p. 225
• Main Authors: Belavý, D L, Miokovic, T, Armbrecht, G, Rittweger, J, Felsenberg, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.10.2009
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Atrophy; Bed Rest; Exercise Therapy - methods; Head-Down Tilt; Humans; Lower Extremity - pathology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Muscle, Skeletal - pathology; Organ Size; Vibration - therapeutic use; Weightlessness Countermeasures; Weightlessness Simulation
• ISSN: 1108-7161

The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a resistive vibration exercise countermeasure during prolonged bed-rest in preventing lower-limb muscle atrophy. 20 male subjects underwent 56-days of bed-rest and were assigned to either an inactive control, or a countermeasure group which performed high-load resistive exercises (including squats, heel raises and toe raises) with whole-body vibration. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lower-limbs was performed at two-weekly intervals. Volume of individual muscles was calculated. Countermeasure exercise reduced atrophy in the triceps surae and the vastii muscles (F>3.0, p<.025). Atrophy of the peroneals, tibialis posterior and toe flexors was less in the countermeasure-subjects, though statistical evidence for this was weak (F<or=2.3, p>or=.071). Atrophy in the hamstring muscles was similar in both groups (F<1.1, p>.38). The adductor longus, sartiorius and rectus femoris muscles showed little loss of muscle volume during bed-rest (F<1.7, p>.15). The countermeasure exercise programme was effective in reducing atrophy in the extensors of the knee and ankle but not the hamstrings.