The effect of whole body vibration on explosive power, speed endurance and extensibility of soccer players leg muscles

Abstract: Background. The purpose of the present study was to verify the effect induced by the daily administration of the whole body vibration (WBV) on the mechanical behaviour of the leg muscles of 17 professional soccer players. Methods. One day before and one day after one month of five minutes of WBV treatment, was assessed the explosive power of the leg extensor muscles of the players, with the test introduced by Bosco (1983). This consisted on performing several jumping exercises performed with pre-stretch [Counter movement jump (CMJ), continuos jump (CJ) performed during 5s and 15s respectively]. In addition the extensibility of the leg flexor muscles (mm biceps femoralis, semitendinous and semimembranous) was measured using a "seat and reach" test. Results. The effect induced by WBV during thirty days produced, in all jumping test performed (CMJ, 5s CJ, and 15s CJ) an enhancement statistical significant of p<0.05 for the CMJ and 5s CJ and p<0.01 for 15 CJ. The extensibility of the leg flexor muscles demonstrated dramatically high improvement p<0.001. Conclusions. Thus, the results of the present experiment have shown a concomitant enhancement of both leg extensor power and leg flexor extensibility. The improvement of the leg flexor muscles favourite and preserve the integrity of the muscles by decreasing the possibility of the occurrence of injures, which often occur during fast running in soccer players and sprinters. It can be suggested that, the utilisation of vibration may represent a treatment which in addition to prevent the occurrence injures, may improve strongly the explosive power of leg extensor muscles. Such enhancement most probably is determined by the potentiation of the nervous activity.