The acute effects of whole body vibration stimulus warm-up on skill-related physical capabilities in volleyball players

Whole body vibration (WBV) has been suggested to improve athletes’ neuromuscular strength and power. This study investigated the effect of single WBV stimulation on volleyball-specific performance. The participants were 20 elite male volleyball players who performed a 1-min warm-up exercise on a vibration platform at a frequency of 30 Hz and peak-to-peak displacement of 2 mm. After the warm-up exercise, the participants performed a blocking agility test (BAT), 10-m sprinting test, agility T-test, and counter movement jump test. We compared the participants’ performance at four time points (Pretest, Post 0, Post 1, and Post 2). The results revealed that the participants’ BAT performance and maximum rate of force development improved significantly 1 min after the vibration stimulation (p < 0.01). The WBV (frequency of 30-Hz, peak-to-peak displacement of 2 mm) intervention significantly improved the volleyball-specific defensive performance and speed strength of the participants. Accordingly, by undergoing WBV as a form of warm-up exercise, the technique and physical fitness of volleyball players can be improved.