Whole-Body Vibration to Enhance Skeletal Muscle Performance and Flexibility in Healthy Adults: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background. Flexibility and muscular performance assist in maintaining posture, encourage effective movement, prevent improper body alignment, maintain proper muscle length and balance, and also lower the chance of injury. The neuromuscular training technique known as whole-body vibration (WBV) has recently gained favor in health and fitness facilities. WBV has long been utilized as a non-invasive, physical therapy aid in rehabilitation, to improve muscle performance (strength, power, and endurance), encourage bone formation, and decrease the risk of injury. Objective. The possibility of WBV exercise as a helpful and secure strategy for enhanc-ing muscular performance and flexibility was therefore examined in the current review. Methods. The current narrative review used a search strategy and conducted a literature search in January 2023, retrieving data from the following databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Results. Recommendations on how to increase muscle performance and flexibility, lower the chance of injury, and generally improve the overall quality of life are provided by the majority of the selected literature. Conclusions. The usage of this paradigm in practice increases muscle performance and flexibility in both healthy adult athletic and non-athletic subjects is proposed.