Effects of 10-Week Whole Body Vibration Training on Strength, Flexibility and Agility in Taekwondo Athletes

Abstract

Whole Body Vibration (WBV) is a type of exercise commonly applied as a modern exercise technique. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of WBV applied for 10-week on strength, flexibility and agility in taekwondo athletes. A total of 23 healthy young males participated in the present study. The athletes were separated randomly into two groups as the control group (n=11) and whole body vibration training group (n=12). The WBV training group did training 3 days a week for 10 weeks. The Control Group did not do any trainings. The hand grip strength test, vertical jump test, sit-reach test, agility t-test were applied to the WBV training group and control group before and after the 10-week WBV training. The comparisons between the groups were analyzed by using an independent sample t-test at a significance level of p<0.05. No statistically significant differences were detected between the pre-test hand grip strength, vertical jump test, sit-reach test and agility t-test results of the WBV training group and control group according to the Independent sample t test. In the post-test results, statistically significant differences were detected between the vertical jump test, sit-reach test, agility t-test however, no statistically significant differences were detected between the hand grip strength results. The intra-group comparisons were made according to the paired sample t test at a significance level of p<0.05. Although statistically significant differences were detected in the WBV training group between the pre-test-post-test, vertical jump test, sit-reach test, agility t-test values, no statistically significant differences were detected between the hand grip strength results. No statistically significant differences were detected between the hand grip strength, vertical jump, sit-reach, agility t-test pre-test and post-test results of the control group. Long-term whole body vibration training has positive strength, flexibility and agility values.