Maximum Safe Amplitude/G-force
A FAQ is what is the maximum amplitude and g-force I should use when vibrating?
The short answer is that for total health and safety you should use nothing above a plate amplitude of 2.0 mm (peak to peak) - and that is only for people who are healthy and have already been using and training on a vibration plate. If you are new to WBV, you must start slowly. If you have chronic health issues, are elderly, sensitive, or in any other way fragile, even if you are a seasoned athlete—if you have not already been vibrating on a high intensity vibration machine, it is critical that you start slowly. A vibration that is too strong can harm your musculature and neurological systems, potentially negatively impacting your entire body.
Note that there is a difference between motor amplitude and plate amplitude. Plate amplitude is what you actually feel and receive when you are standing on the machine. Motor amplitude is the amount of movement from the motor alone. To appear to have a stronger machine some companies publish only the motor amplitude.
G-force (or intensity of vibration) is calculated by a complicated mathematical equation that includes the amplitude and frequency of the machine as well as the weight of the person. Thus the g-force will vary from person to person. Typical usage for most people with my machines will be below or around 1.0 g-force at frequency settings of 30-35 hz, which is the recommended speed setting for working out. Becky Chambers' experience working with hundreds of people over 20 years, and in line with OSHA guidelines, is that this is a safe level for under an hour – but she does not recommend using your machine that long. Some of our machines, such as the Vibrant Health Power 1000, can go up to 1.5g at the maximum settings. For optimal results we recommend that you work up to using this form of whole body vibration (WBV) for 10-20 minutes/day, with 20 minutes/day as the maximum.
As stated above, people with health issues or new to vibration must start at the lowest time, frequency, and amplitude settings, and increase slowly. Check Becky Chambers' books for more information on using WBV.
If you are more fragile or elderly, you may want to consider using an extremely gentle form of vibraiton called low intensity vibration (LIV) - see the next section for more on this option.
Low Intensity Vibration (LIV)
Low intensity vibration, or LIV, is an extremely gentle and safe type of vibration. For elderly and more fragile people worried about bone density, this high speed, very low amplitude (< 0.5 mm) vertical vibration can be the best choice because of its extreme gentleness and safety. These machines generate very low gravitational forces (0.3–0.4 g), which is less impact than generated by walking across the living room floor, in a vertical vibration motion. While it is not as powerful and effective for bone and muscle as a higher amplitude vibration, there are very few contraindications. LIV is excellent for more fragile people such as the elderly and those struggling with more severe health challenges, and it can be a steppingstone to using a stronger type of vibration.
Vibrant Health’s Ultimate Vibe machine is designed to provide the benefits of the extremely gentle LIV workout. But this machine also has a higher amplitude setting that can provide the stronger g-force and amplitude that is needed for effective for bone density and muscle strengthening for when you are strong enough for that type of vibration.
Buyer Beware
The latest confusing issue going on with vibration machines and the marketplace is companies using different methods to calculate the Amplitude specs for their vibration plates (see diagram below). In response to people mistakenly* thinking they need high amplitude, high g-force vibration machine and making buying decisions based on this factor, some companies use a peak-to-peak measurement of amplitude versus the more standard center-line-to-peak amplitude measurement. Using the peak-to-peak-measurement method produces amplitudes suddenly twice as big as the center-line method, without actually changing the true vibration. Other companies deal with this issue by not posting amplitude information online at all (Vibrant Health has taken this route). When amplitude information is posted online, there is no explanation or consensus as to which measurement is being referenced, so it is very difficult to know what you are getting with different machines.
* See Vibrant Health's Survey results - they are much better than medical research where they use more powerful but also jarring and chaotic machines.
Power - Single Motor vs. Dual Motor
A key difference between machines is the number of motors producing the vibration. Some companies use more than one motor in their machines in order to increase the power (g-force and amplitude) of the vibration. But this multiple motors (or types of motion at the same time) approach ignores the potentially devastating effect of desynchronized vibrations on the brain, especially over time. All vibration machines sold on this website use only one motor. The one motor approach is based on a critical piece of information that many manufacturers are not aware of, or refuse to consider. Two motors can never be properly synchronized, as a result, if you stand on a two motor system, you and your brain will become desynchronized over time. This can lead to a host of negative side effects, such as, fatigue, muscle weakness, sleep disturbances and even immune system imbalance. A one motor system always delivers a 100% synchronized vibration and message to your brain and body, helping your system to be in its optimal functioning state.
High amplitudes and g-forces are not typically achieved using a single motor system, but all the beneficial effects of Whole Body Vibration are still obtained, including increasing bone density and a fit, toned body. High amplitude and g-force is not the most important objective for WBV, even though some manufacturers promote this aspect of their machines. One of the most critical aspects of whole body vibration is how the vibration effects your brain.
Brain synchronization is the simultaneous, in-phase firing of brain cells across regions of the brain. These combined signals generate electromagnetic brain waves, which can be measured by electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
A critical component of brain health is synchronization - the brainwaves from different areas of the brain working together, not a chaotic, unsynchronized state.. This is only possible using a 100% synchronized single motor system like our vibration machines. Remember that intense exercise is only one of the effects of vibration, and be aware of what you are purchasing.
There are now machines that have two motors operating two different types of motion, usually with the option of operating only one at a time. See below for more info on these systems. If you do get one of these machines be sure to only use one motor and motion at a time.
