Chest Wall Vibration Enhances Cardiopulmonary Recovery and Reduces Dyspnea Following High Intensity Exercise in a...

Cardiopulmonary recovery after peak exercise is a critical component of exercise performance and overall health management. This study investigated whether combining chest wall vibration with a trunk forward-leaning posture could enhance recovery efficiency in healthy adults. Twenty-three participants performed a graded treadmill exercise using the Bruce protocol and were randomly assigned to either a vibration group (n = 11) or a control group (n = 12). During the 5-minute recovery period, all participants assumed a seated forward-leaning position, while the vibration group additionally received low-frequency chest wall vibration at the intercostal space between the second and third ribs. Heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO₂), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁), FEV₁/FVC ratio, and subjective dyspnea (using a modified cross-modality matching method) were measured at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at 1, 3, and 5 minutes of recovery (R1, R3, R5). Both groups demonstrated significant changes over time in HR, SpO₂, and subjective dyspnea, whereas pulmonary function measures (FVC, FEV₁, and FEV₁/FVC) remained unchanged. HR peaked immediately post-exercise (Control: 184.25 ± 8.24 bpm; Experimental: 186.72 ± 9.14 bpm) and decreased progressively during recovery, reaching 124.91 ± 13.54 bpm in the control group and 116.00 ± 13.84 bpm in the experimental group at 5 minutes. The experimental group showed significantly lower HR at 1 and 3 minutes post-exercise compared with the control group (p = .008 and p = .003, respectively), while no between-group differences were observed at Rest, immediately post-exercise, or at 5 minutes (all p > .05). SpO₂ decreased immediately after exercise (Control: 87.75 ± 6.22%; Experimental: 91.00 ± 5.54%) and returned toward resting levels by 1 minute of recovery. No significant between-group differences were observed at any time point (all p > .05). Subjective dyspnea scores peaked immediately after exercise (Control: 38.25 ± 3.64 cm; Experimental: 39.27 ± 3.13 cm) and declined progressively through recovery (Control: 16.50 ± 3.72 cm; Experimental: 4.09 ± 2.77 cm at 5 minutes). Dyspnea scores were significantly lower in the experimental group at 1, 3, and 5 minutes into recovery (all p < .001). These results suggest that the addition of chest wall vibration to a forward-leaning posture may facilitate early autonomic recovery and alleviate post-exercise breathlessness, offering a practical non-invasive intervention for post-exertional recovery.