Whole-body vibration as a mode of dyspnoea free physical activity: A community-based proof-of-concept trial
- Authors: Furness, Trentham , Joseph, Corey , Welsh, Liam , Naughton, Geraldine , Lorenzen, Christian
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Research Notes Vol. 6, no. 1 (2013), p. 452
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: The potential of whole-body vibration (WBV) as a mode of dyspnoea free physical activity for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unknown among community-based settings. Furthermore, the acute effects of WBV on people with COPD have not been profiled in community-based settings. The aim of this community-based proof-of-concept trial was to describe acute effects of WBV by profiling subjective and objective responses to physical activity. Findings. Seventeen community-dwelling older adults with COPD were recruited to participate in two sessions; WBV and sham WBV (SWBV). Each session consisted of five one-minute bouts interspersed with five one-minute passive rest periods. The gravitational force was ~2.5 g for WBV and ~0.0 g for SWBV. Reliability of baseline dyspnoea, heart rate, and oxygen saturation was first established and then profiled for both sessions. Acute responses to both WBV and SWBV were compared with repeated measures analysis of variance and repeated contrasts. Small changes in dyspnoea and oxygen saturation lacked subjective and clinical meaningfulness. One session of WBV and SWBV significantly increased heart rate (p ≤ 0.02), although there was no difference among WBV and SWBV (p = 0.67). Conclusions: This community-based proof-of-concept trial showed that a session of WBV can be completed with the absence of dyspnoea for people with COPD. Furthermore, there were no meaningful differences among WBV and SWBV for heart rate and oxygen saturation. There is scope for long-term community-based intervention research using WBV given the known effects of WBV on peripheral muscle function and functional independence.
- Description: C1
Early changes in Achilles tendon behaviour in vivo following downhill backwards walking
- Authors: Joseph, Corey , Bradshaw, Elizabeth , Furness, Trentham , Kemp, Justin , Clark, Ross
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Sports Sciences Vol. 34, no. 13 (Jul 2016), p. 1215-1221
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Downhill backwards walking causes repeated, cyclical loading of the muscle-tendon unit. The effect this type of repeated loading has on the mechanical behaviour of the Achilles tendon is presently unknown. This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical response of the Achilles tendon aponeurosis complex following a downhill backwards walking protocol. Twenty active males (age: 22.3 +/- 3.0years; mass: 74.7 +/- 5.6kg; height: 1.8 +/- 0.7m) performed 60min of downhill (8.5 degrees), backwards walking on a treadmill at -0.67m center dot s(-1). Data were collected before, immediately post, and 24-, 48- and 168-h post-downhill backwards walking. Achilles tendon aponeurosis elongation, strain and stiffness were measured using ultrasonography. Muscle force decreased immediately post-downhill backward walking (P=0.019). There were increases in Achilles tendon aponeurosis stiffness at 24-h post-downhill backward walking (307 +/- 179.6N center dot mm(-1), P=0.004), and decreases in Achilles tendon aponeurosis strain during maximum voluntary contraction at 24 (3.8 +/- 1.7%, P=0.008) and 48h (3.9 +/- 1.8%, P=0.002) post. Repeated cyclical loading of downhill backwards walking affects the behaviour of the muscle-tendon unit, most likely by altering muscle compliance, and these changes result in tendon stiffness increases.