REF-315 · Pournot H, Tindel J, Testa R, Mathevon L & Lapole T, 2016 · Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, · PubMed · Free full text
The Acute Effect of Local Vibration As a Recovery Modality from Exercise-Induced Increased Muscle Stiffness
Participants
n=11 healthy males
Protocol
4 bouts of 10 bilateral barbell curls at 70% 1RM
Biceps brachii shear elastic modulus via SWE measured PRE, immediately POST-EX, and 5 min POST-REC
One arm received local vibration (55 Hz, 10 min), other arm passive recovery
Key Results
Biceps brachii shear elastic modulus increased +53 ± 48% immediately post-exercise (p<0.001)
Still elevated +31 ± 46% after 5 min recovery (p=0.025)
No difference between vibration and passive recovery (p=0.210)
Vibration did not accelerate stiffness recovery
Mechanism
Inference, not tested in this paper (only shear modulus was measured): concentric/eccentric resistance exercise causes acute passive stiffness increase from exercise-induced muscle swelling, increased intramuscular pressure, and altered cross-bridge state (residual cross-bridge attachment). Vibration insufficient to reverse these tissue-level changes — the stiffness is structural, not neural.
Practical Application
Resistance exercise increases passive stiffness by ~50% acutely — important contrast with endurance softening
Local vibration does not accelerate tissue-level recovery
Inference, not tested: post-exercise stiffness is a tissue/structural phenomenon, not a neural "tension" that can be released by vibration
Implication (inference, not tested): recovery modalities targeting neural relaxation (vibration, percussion) may not address tissue stiffness
Limitations
Small sample (n=11)
Only biceps brachii — not locomotor muscles
Short recovery window (5 min only)
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How this entry was checked and changed
Content correction 2026-09-27
Resync 2026-09-28: Duplicate PMID line and unlabelled mechanism/implication lines -> duplicate removed; mechanism, structural-stiffness and implication lines labelled inference.