1. SPORTS TRAINING

Muscle biopsy of a world-class athlete.
dark = slow muscle fibre
light = fast muscle fibre

Power-training for top athletes athletes has made great advancement, and is still a source of dynamic development in top sport. The increase in power/force is very much dependent on the intensity (= the weight and the velocity of the load), and the volume, (=the total amount of the load or the duration of the load).

In order to make power-training more effective and efficient, efforts are often made to find ways of increasing the intensity. That usually results in increasing the load, which is maybe optimal for adapting the muscle tissue, but this is often accompanied by problems with the passive movement apparatus, for example, in the form of knee complaints or problems in the lower part of the back.

Many top athletes, however, train on the edge of their physical limits. And all too often top athletes, and their coaches, are confronted with strength or speed barriers. Many sport careers are also disrupted because of chronic overtraining, resulting or injuries.

Vibration-training can be used in addition to the regular power-training, or as a safe alternative to power-training; on the other hand, it can be used as a warming-up, to prepare for power-training or in combination with technique training and/or speed-training.

A problem area in top-sport is training the explosive power, such as jumping power or throwing-power. Use is often made of 'brutal' training intensities and high 'peak' loads. This could be with heavy power loads of hundreds of kilos of weights, plyometric loads or drop--jumps. These unfortunately often result in injuries. Some examples are foot injuries, Achilles' tendon injuries, knee injuries (jumpers knee) or back complaints.

The muscles become stronger after many years of training, but not the passive movement apparatus, like tendons, ligaments, tendons, joints and and bones. Certainly for athletes who have reached the limits of their physical limits, it is extremely difficult to find effective and safe training methods.

Vibration-training allows the muscles to work very hard without overloading on the ligaments, tendons, joints and vertebra. This is not only to the benefit of top athletes, but also for young athletes, who are not able to take on strength training because of growing problems e.g. Osgood-Schlatter or M. Scheuermann, both disorders in bone growth that often appear in the teen years.

Vibration-training can be used in a number of ways:

supplementary to the normal power-training (for example: Monday/Wednesday/Friday power-training; Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday - vibration-training)

an alternative for power-training, when there is injury or rehabilitation (for example: instead of power-training on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, replace with vibration-training on Mon/Wed/Fri

in preparation for power-training (for example: Monday/Wednesday/Friday first vibration-training, and afterwards power-training)

in preparation for other types of training, such as technique-training or speed-training,

in preparation for competitions, as a warming-up; during track and field events, we often see the sprinters jumping or hopping up and down before they take up their positions in the starting blocks

cooling-down after training and contests, because of the positive effect on the blood circulation and the hormones, which helps the sportsman/woman to recover faster.
Training Effects
Vibration-training has a great number of positive effects on the sportsman/woman athlete.

explosive strength
maximum strenght
power
speed
agility and flexibility
circulation
recovery
motor learning.


Source: C. Bosco
EMG of Quadriceps during vibration

Moreover, it avoids injuries and can be used as therapy when injuries do occur. An additional advantage with the NEMES is that there is no question of mental or metabolic load . There is no central fatigue in the nervous system. There is also hardly any (if at all) metabolites like lactic acid, to be found in the muscle after vibration-training. For this reason, vibration-training can be perfectly combined with other types of training.

This advanced training system enables athletes to get the best results from their training; an increase in power, a positive influence on the hormonal system and a break through the force and speed barriers!

The effects of 10 minutes vibration-training can be compared with 150 leg-presses or squats, using a weight which is three times the body-weight, twice a week for 5 weeks in succession!

Advantages
Vibration-training with the NEMES has the following advantages for (top)athletes:
they can train at a intensity within the limits of their physical ability
the training is more effective, in less time, which helps to break through the speed barriers
it is a safe way to do high intensity pressure training, at an intensive level
it is easy to combine with other types of training
there is a there is a there is also reduced load on the passive movement apparatus when compared with other more conventional maximum power-training or plyometric training (drop jumps, jumping, bounding)
an excellent way to stimulate the hormonal system
very little mental stress for the athlete; there is no special technique or effort needed.

2. GERIATRICS

Vibration-training is also useful in combating the various complaints which accompany the ageing process. One of the examples which we have already mentioned, is osteoporosis. But also with other ageing problems such as peripheral circulation disorders, especially claudicatio intermittens and ulcus cruris. Weakened muscles are rapidly and efficiently trained, in a responsible and safe way, and exactly in the right place.


Lower leg
Source : Sobotta

In addition to the complaints of ageing, vibration-training can also be used because of its general rehabilitating and (re)vitalising effects.


3. ANTI-AGEING STRATEGIES

Counteracting the ageing process is becoming more important, although not so much the advancing years as trying to counteract the complaints and problems which accompany the ageing process.

'Don't add more years to your life, but more life to your years', is a wise old saying which is typical of the effect which vibration-training has on the anti-ageing process.

Vibration-training can play an important role in all of this! The muscles become toned-up harder and stronger again, bone destruction is prevented, the blood vessels are wide open anew and bring blood and oxygen to the cells. Hormone levels return to a more youthful level. Neurotransmitters ensure an improved mental fitness. And all of this in a safe and rapid way with vibration-training.

By using only a short treatment on the NEMES, the body seems to wake up with a jolt, and the effect is a rapid revitalisation, probably due to the secretion of serotonine.

4. FITNESS

We learned from research that vibration-training is especially effective for those people who do sport as a recreation, in sports centres and in health clubs. The NEMES ensures a feeling of wellbeing and stimulates fitness and figure-improvement. In fact, many of the same things apply to fitness-training as they do to sports- training. Indeed, some fitness training is almost top-sport training, although this is not always obvious. Vibration-training can be very useful for the purpose of warming-up before and cooling-down after fitness training. Vibration-training gives a feeling of wellbeing. It really has a sensational effect, and makes one feel energetic. In only a short time, the NEMES gives an improved training effect without mental (and physical) stress. Due to the secretion of hormones, it is also possible to use vibration-training as a support to specific fat-loss-training such as aerobic training. The results of a recent pilot-study involving 70 women who visited a sports and fitness centre in Amstelveen, show that vibration-training on its own, without any other additional training) is an excellent and effective way of getting rid of excess body fat !

Upper leg muscles Source: Sobotta

Vibration-training improves fitness and a rapid revitalisation. You don't need a special room for vibration-training, you don't need to change your clothing or take a shower, you don't need to prepare beforehand, and it's very time-effective. For these reasons, in particular, the NEMES is extremely useful for company fitness.


5. PHYSICAL THERAPEUTICALPURPOSES

The principle of vibration-training has been used in the medical and paramedical world for many years. Vibration-training can ideally be used as (supplementary) therapy for paramedical purposes, and particularly for the treatment of injuries, prevention and revalidation.

Research in Germany indicates that chronic low-back complaints can disappear with vibration-training. By using specific training protocols and frequencies, some cases of acute back-problems can even disappear after only one or two single training sessions.

With the perfect combination of great muscle activity, circulation improvement and hormonal stimulation, all in a short and safe period of time, vibration-training is a good basis for application within the preventive treatment programs.

6. REHABILITATION

Both practice and research show that the NEMES is not only very suitable as a physical application alongside other applications, but also as a separate method of treatment. Where muscle activity is needed but is not yet possible because of overburdening overloading the joints, the NEMES offers the solution.

In Germany, vibration-training is used in medical sport-rehabilitation of cruciate ligament injuries and other knee injuries.


Arthroscopy
Four students from the Academy of Physiotherapy in Leiden, have recently carried out research into the possibilities of applying vibration-training in the physical therapist's practice; the title of their graduation project is: 'Tonische Vibratiereflex als therapie-ingang by revalidatie van de knie, een pilot studie'

Whole Body Vibration, a new method in (sport) revalidation. During this graduation project, a few remarkable and important research results have been found in relation to vibration-training and revalidation of the knee.

Within the area of physical therapy, there are a great number of indications and potential indications for treatment with vibration-training:

muscle atrophy
muscle hypotonia
peripheral circulation disorders, including ulcus cruris
pain
paresis / paralysis
spasticity

bone and bone tissue

limitations of movement
Achilles' tendon complaints
low-back complaints including S-I complaints (Sacro-Iliac-joint)
muscle strengthening
oedema (lymph drainage)
sclerodermia
proprioceptive disturbances


7. MEDICAL PURPOSES

For medical purposes, vibration-training can be used as a (supplementary) method for treating disorders such as incontinence, various muscle and nerve disturbances, paresis, obesity, various handicaps and forms of spasticity, scleroderma and osteoporosis.

8. COSMETIC TREATMENT

There is a great deal of experience in Germany into the effects of vibration-training for cosmetic purposes. The results of the treatment are extremely positive.

Particularly in Germany, local vibration-treatment is used in the cosmetic treatment of such complaints as fluid retention, low muscle tone and cellulitis. Vibration-training results in a strong resorption of fluid, particularly in the lower legs. In addition, vibration-training is also used in the treatment and prevention of cellulitis and fat burning process in the body.

Vibration-training soon gets rid of a (too) low muscle tone of legs and trunk muscles, by contracting the muscles strongly, and at length.

The phenomenon of cellulitus exists because of a combination of facors:
- the hormonal factor, factor (mainly in women)
- een anatomical factor (the fat-cells in women are elongated and, relatively, only wrapped in connective tissue). Vibration-training causes the secretion of hormones which reduce the fat tissue (lipolytic) and strengthen the connective tissue around the cells. On the basis of this, a reduction in cellulitis can be expected. At present, NEMESIS is doing scientific research into the effects of vibration-training on cellulitis.

9. COMPANY FITNESS AND BURNOUT

It is quite clear that vibration-training has very positive effects on the psychological and physical well-being of people. The strongly revitalising effect of vibration-training is what makes the NEMES exceedingly suitable as an alternative to company fitness.

Moreover, the NEMES is also used in the prevention and treatment of symptoms of burnout. In Carien Karsten's book entitled 'Omgaan met burnout, preventie, hulp en reintegratie' (2nd Edition, Nov.1999, Elmar Publishers), vibration-training is mentioned as an intervention-possibility when there are symptoms of burnout.