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new study in mice reveals the beneficial
effects of whole-body vibration on inflammation and the microbiome.
Whole-body vibration involves standing on a vibrating platform, such as the one shown here.
Whole-body
vibration (WBV) is a form of passive exercise that first
appeared in the late 1990s and gained popularity in the last decade as a form
of fitness training.
WBV
requires a person to stand on a platform that typically vibrates at a frequency
of 15–70 hertz (Hz) and an amplitude of 1–10 millimeters (mm).
The
human body automatically adapts to "repeated, rapid, and short
intermittent exposure to oscillations" from this type of vibrating
platform, which prompted researchers to classify WBV as a "light
neuromuscular resistance training method."
Research
into the practice has brought to light various health benefits. Some studies
have shown that WBV improves muscle performance, bone density, strength, and
balance, as well as helping to reduce body fat in the long term.
Importantly,
previous research has also shown that WBV can reduce inflammation and even
"reverse many symptoms" of type 2 diabetes, such as frequent
urination and excessive thirst.
Research
indicates that it also improves blood sugar control and insulin resistance, as
measured by the standard glucose tolerance test and the hemoglobin A1C blood
sugar test.
But
how, exactly, might WBV exert these benefits on metabolic health? Researchers
from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) and the Dental College of Georgia
(DCG), at Augusta University, set out to investigate.
Dr.
Jack Yu, head of pediatric plastic surgery at MCG, is one of the corresponding
authors of the study — which appears in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences —
together with Dr. Babak Baban, immunologist and interim associate dean for
research at DCG.
WBV raised gut bacterium levels by 17-fold
Drs.
Yu and Baban used a standard mouse model of type 2 diabetes. This involves
using mice that have been genetically engineered to have a leptin deficiency,
which puts them at risk of obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes.
For
the experiments aimed at examining macrophages — that is, immune cells with a
key role in inflammation and gut health — the researchers used two groups of
male mice; six mice received the intervention and three served as controls.
The
rodents received 20 minutes of WBV each day of the week for 4 weeks. The WBV
had a frequency of 30 Hz and an amplitude of 3 mm. After the 4 weeks had ended,
the team collected and analyzed the rodents' adipose tissue.
The
researchers also performed similar experiments with WBV and assessed the
rodents' microbiomes by examining their stool.
The experiments revealed various changes as a result
of WBV. A crucial finding was a 17-fold increase in a gut bacterium that plays
a key role in inflammation.
The
bacterium goes by the name of Alistipes,
and its role is to raise levels of short-chain fatty acids — compounds that
lower inflammation in the gut. Previous research has found low levels of the
bacterium in people with Crohn's disease and inflammatory
bowel disease, explain the researchers.
Among
the short-chain fatty acids that Alistipes bacteria
help release is butyrate, a metabolite of dietary fiber, which can reverse the
negative effects of eating a high-fat diet.
Drs.
Yu and Baban also explain that Alistipes help
ferment the food in the gut and improve metabolism in general, helping the body
use sugar to create energy.
WBV reversed inflammation in diabetes model
Furthermore,
the experiments revealed that WBV resulted in an increase in M2 macrophages —
immune cells that suppress inflammation — as well as increases in
anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-10, both in mice that had
diabetes and in healthy mice.
In fact, in the mouse model of diabetes, WBV brought
M2 levels back to those of healthy control mice.
Finally,
the researchers wanted to see whether giving the mice small doses of Alistipes as a medication and
combining it with a shorter session of WBV would have a therapeutic effect.
As
soon as the population of this gut bacterium increased, the ratio between
pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and anti-inflammatory M2s also improved.
"The sequencing is not yet completely clear," comments Dr. Yu,
"but it appears to be a closed-loop, feed forward, self-magnifying cycle."
Although
more experiments are necessary to fully understand how an activity that mimics
exercise without any of the active movement can have such a positive chain
reaction, the researchers conclude that WBV can reduce inflammation and improve
metabolism.
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