The effects of whole body vibration therapy on reducing fat mass in the adult general population: A systematic review and meta-analyses

Whole Body Vibration (WBV) is a popular and a purported alternative to physical activity to reduce body fat, but reports of efficacy are inconsistent. We aimed to describe the efficacy of WBV therapy for reducing fat mass in the adult general population. A systematic search was conducted using Medline, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PubMed up to March 27, 2019. Studies, which evaluated the effects of WBV on fat mass (%/kg) as a primary or secondary outcome, were considered for inclusion. Of 2,418 studies, after title and abstract screening, 45 articles underwent full-text screening. Seven controlled trials with a total of 280 subjects were included in the systematic review. The meta-analyses were performed for six studies based on reported fat mass (%/kg) changes in the intervention and control groups. The mean change for total fat mass per kg and % body fat were -0.76 (95% CI: -1.42, -0.09) and -0.61 (95% CI: -1.51, 0.13) respectively. This systematic review and meta-analyses showed a significant effect of WBV on total fat mass (kg), however clinically insignificant effects of 6-24 weeks of WBV therapy on % body fat. Longer duration studies with adequate sample sizes are required to determine the efficacy of WBV therapy.