Standing on a vibrating plate about the size of a bathroom scale could help you build muscle and lose weight, according to a new study. At least, that’s what people are saying on TikTok but using vibration to work out is not new. However, some scientists believe that the evidence on the potential health benefits of vibration is still not enough to support these claims. Furthermore, many vibration plates can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, making them an expensive purchase.
The truth about losing weight with a vibrating plate while standing still
Exercise science professor Brad Schoenfeld explains that vibrating the body activates muscle spindles, which regulate muscle contraction and relaxation. Since your muscles flex when you exercise, it makes sense that utilizing a vibration plate will wear them out and alter your body, particularly if you conduct workouts on top of the plate. However, Schoenfeld noted that there is little evidence to support the claim that vibration can aid in fat loss or muscle growth.
Dr. Amy West, a sports medicine specialist at Northwell Health, states that vibration is insufficient for most individuals to significantly increase heart rate, muscle strength, fat burning, and weight loss. Resistance training and aerobic exercise would be necessary to achieve it. The use of a vibration plate can potentially cause slight physical changes in individuals who are primarily sedentary or unable to exercise. This is because their level of activity would go from zero to a little bit, according to Dr. Rekha B. Kumar, an endocrinologist who specializes in metabolic health at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.
Without incorporating food and exercise into one’s diet, individuals may experience a decrease in strength and weight loss returns. Researchers examined the potential for fat reduction by employing vibration plates two or three times a week for six weeks to six months in a 2019 evaluation of research involving 280 healthy weight people in the US and Europe. Participants lost some fat as a result of vibration, but not enough to significantly alter their body composition, according to Kumar. A 2021 study on older individuals found that stretching before strengthening activities was not significantly more beneficial than vibration before strengthening exercises.
Are there other benefits from losing weight while standing still?
According to Schoenfeld, some studies indicate that vibrating the entire body may have advantages, but the findings aren’t strong enough to promote it for the general public. This is due in part to the fact that different gadgets on the market have different vibration intensities and speeds. Furthermore, a variety of devices are used in vibration studies, making it impossible to determine which settings or equipment are best for specific health objectives, according to Rachele Pojednic, an adjunct instructor in human biology at Stanford University. Based on evidence, this is what will happen to your body and weight:
- Balance: It takes more work to keep your balance while standing on a vibrating plate than when you are standing motionless. Over time, that might help you become more balanced, West added. According to Schoenfeld, the majority of studies on this subject focus on elderly individuals or those with health issues that impair their ability to balance. Researchers discovered, for example, that some types of vibration may improve older persons’ balance in a 2023 evaluation of 25 randomized controlled trials. However, the review’s sample size was small, so further research is required.
- Bone strength: Vibrating gadgets may assist some populations, such as postmenopausal women, in increasing their bone density, according to a few small studies. In theory, this makes logical sense because our bones are pulled by our muscles when they contract, Schoenfeld added. This keeps them robust by encouraging them to swap out old tissues for fresh ones. However, Julie Pohlad, a physical therapist from Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine in Tempe, Arizona, advised against depending solely on vibration plates to build stronger bones. She advised doing dependable bone-healthy exercises like weightlifting, jumping, running, or walking.
- Explosive power: Theoretically, vibration could improve the communication between our muscles and nerves, allowing our muscles to contract faster, according to experts. We might be able to jump a little higher, for example. As with any potential advantage of vibration, Pojednic noted that the research is too patchy and limited to determine “what dose or correct frequency” would be required to observe advantages or whether vibration actually increases power.
