Whole-Body Vibration Exercise Lowers Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and Arterial Stiffness in Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/mjssr.v22i1.8434Keywords:
whole-body vibration exercise, Blood pressure, arterial stiffness, heart rate, meta-analysisAbstract
Objective: To evaluate the effects of whole‐body vibration (WBV) exercise training on key cardiovascular markers, specifically systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), resting heart rate (HR), and pulse‐wave velocity (PWV) in healthy young adults.
Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from January 2015 through June 1, 2025. Randomised controlled trials comparing WBV (any modality, 20–40 Hz) versus control (no exercise or sham vibration) in participants aged 18–40 years were eligible. Data extraction and study quality assessment (using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool) were performed independently by two reviewers. Pooled weighted mean differences (WMDs) were calculated using a DerSimonian–Laird random‐effects model. I² quantified heterogeneity, and the overall risk of bias was summarised across studies.
Results: Twenty RCTs (n = 846 participants) met inclusion criteria. Compared with control, WBV produced significant reductions in: SBP: WMD = −7.0 mmHg (95 % CI, −9.5 to −4.5; p < 0.001; I² = 42 %), DBP: WMD = −1.8 mmHg (95 % CI, −3.0 to −0.6; p = 0.003; I² = 35 %), HR: WMD = −2.2 bpm (95 % CI, −3.5 to −0.9; p = 0.001; I² = 28 %), PWV: WMD = −0.9 m/s (95 % CI, −1.4 to −0.4; p < 0.001; I² = 48 %) . Subgroup analyses indicated larger SBP and DBP reductions in overweight or metabolic syndrome cohorts and trials using vibration ≥ 30 Hz. Overall risk of bias was moderate: most studies had “some concerns” due to lack of participant blinding or incomplete outcome data.
Conclusions: WBV training in young adults yields clinically meaningful improvements in SBP, DBP, HR, and arterial stiffness, with low‐to‐moderate heterogeneity (I² = 28–48 %) and generally moderate risk of bias. Future long‐term, higher‐powered RCTs are needed to confirm these findings and determine optimal vibration parameters
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