Influence of isolated or simultaneous application of electromyostimulation and vibration on leg blood flow

The aim of this study was to analyze the acute effects of isolated or simultaneously applied whole-body vibration (WBV) and electromyostimulation (ES) on the popliteal arterial blood velocity and skin temperature (ST) of the calf.

Thirteen healthy males were assessed in five different sessions. After a familiarization session, four interventions were applied in random order; WBV, ES, simultaneous WBV and ES (WBV+ES), and 30 s of WBV followed by 30 s of ES (WBV30/ES30). Each intervention consisted of 10 sets × 1 min ON + 1 min OFF. The subject was standing on the vibration platform (squat position, 30° knee flexion, 26 Hz, 5 mm peak-to-peak), and ES was applied on the gastrocnemius of both the legs (8 Hz, 400 µs).

The WBV+ES intervention was the only one that maintained the mean blood velocity (MBV) elevated above baseline during the 10 sets, from set-1 (134.6 % p < 0.01) to set-10 (112.6 % p < 0.05). The combined interventions were the only ones that maintained the peak blood velocity (PBV) elevated above baseline during all the sets, from set-1 (113.5 % p < 0.001) to set-10 (88.8 % p < 0.01) and from set-1 (58.4 % p < 0.01) to set-10 (49.1 % p < 0.05) for WBV+ES and WBV30/ES30, respectively.

The simultaneous application of WBV and ES produced a general greater increase in MBV and PBV than the application of each method alone or consecutive. This novel methodological proposal could be interesting in different fields such as sports or the rehabilitation process of different pathologies, to achieve an enhanced peripheral blood flow.