Effect of vibroacoustic stimulation on athletes recovering from exercise

In sports requiring multiple short bouts of high-intensity exertion, recovery while off the field is an important part of being an effective competitive athlete. This study investigated the potential of vibroacoustic stimulation to aid recovery from athletic stress.

University of Pittsburgh club and varsity athletes (n = 22) pedaled on a stationary bike strenuously, followed by a period of recovery accompanied by vibration using a wearable transducer. Subjective and physiological (skin conductance responses and cardiac measures) were used to determine the extent of recovery with frontal electroencephalographic (alpha/theta) measures indexing brain reactivity.

Vibrations rated as the most calming by each participant were associated with increased high-frequency heart-rate variability, representing parasympathetic tone, particularly in athletes most affected by pedaling. Yet, EEG markers, while related to subjective recovery, were not associated with physiological change.

This work provides support for the idea that vibration, which is subjectively rated as calming, could affect physiological recovery from physical stressors, at least for those individuals whose physiology is affected by exertion. This is likely through direct effects on physiology rather than "top down" effects on the brain.