The addition of synchronous whole-body vibration to battling rope exercise increases skeletal muscle activity

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of performing battling rope exercise with and without the addition of whole-body vibration (WBV) on muscle activity of the leg, trunk, and upper body. METHODS Twenty-eight recreationally active university students completed 20-s of battling rope undulation for 6 separate conditions: 1) alternating arm motion no WBV -Alt_NoWBV; 2) alternating arm motion 30 Hz low amplitude WBV -Alt_30 Hz-L; 3) alternating arm motion 50 Hz high amplitude -Alt_50 Hz-H; 4) double arm motion no WBV -Double_NoWBV; 5) double arm motion 30Hz low amplitude WBV -Double_30Hz-L; 6) double arm motion 50 'Hz high amplitude -Double_50 Hz-H. Electromyography (EMG) was measured for the gastrocnemius medialis (GM), vastus medialis oblique (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL), rectus abdominis (RA), multifidus (MF), biceps brachii (BB), and triceps brachii (TB) muscles. RESULTS The double arm motion during undulation resulted in greater (p<0.05) muscle activity in the VMO, VL, RA, and MF muscles while the GM was more active during the alternating arm motion. WBV at 50Hz increased EMG in all muscles measured vs NoWBV and the 30 Hz condition. CONCLUSION These results are the first to demonstrate that the exercise stimulus of performing battling rope exercise can be augmented by completing the exercise while being exposed to WBV from a ground-based platform.