Circulatory and respiratory effects of whole-body vibration in anesthetized dogs

Abstract

Effects of whole body x-axis sinusoidal vibration were studied in 27 anesthetized dogs. At a vibratory frequency of 10 cycles/sec and at levels of peak acceleration greater than 0.3 g, increases in the accelerative force of vibration were accompanied by increases in mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, oxygen consumption, central blood volume, and minute volume of ventilation. Peripheral vascular resistance decreased under the same conditions. At 6 cycles/sec similar results were obtained, the only significant differences being in blood pressure and heart rate response. In three animals curare partially blocked the increase in oxygen consumption during vibration. Reserpine had no effect in two other animals. These studies suggest that the circulatory responses observed during whole-body vibration are due to muscular exercise. vibration physiology; acceleration physiology; biomechanics; vibration and exercise; curare and vibration response; reserpine and vibration response Submitted on February 1, 1965