Health Farm

-- They look like industrial grade scales, but rather than weigh sacks of grain they jiggle the flesh of gym-goers, who stand sheepishly on a small platform that vibrates beneath their feet.

Popular in the 90s, whole-body vibration (WBV) platforms – a light neuromuscular resistance training method – could soon make a comeback, with new research showing how a daily dose of WBV raises gut bacterium, which plays an important role in inflammation.

Despite studies highlighting numerous health benefits, including improved blood sugar control and insulin resistance, WBV lost favour with the exercise set as other forms of fitness, such as boot camp and functional fitness, gained popularity.

But scientists remained intrigued, with a group from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) and the Dental College of Georgia (DCG) setting out to understand the mechanisms by which vibration improved metabolic health.

They subjected one group of mice to 20 minutes of WBV each day for 4 weeks. Compared to a group of sedentary mice, the WBV group notched up a 17-fold increase in a gut bacterium, called Alistipes – a compound known to lower inflammation in the gut. People with Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel disease have low levels of this bacterium.

Furthermore, the study also revealed that WBV increased M2 macrophages — immune cells that suppress inflammation — and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Time to dust off that vibration plate.