The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute and chronic whole-body vibration exercise on serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in women with fibromyalgia.
A randomized controlled two-factor mixed experimental design was used. Twenty-four women with fibromyalgia (age +/- standard error of the mean, 54.95 +/- 2.03) were randomized into the vibration group or the control group. The vibration group underwent a protocol of static and dynamic tasks with whole-body vibration exercise twice a week for a total of six weeks, whereas the control group performed the same protocol without vibratory stimulus. Both groups continued their usual pharmacological treatment. Serum IGF-1 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To test the effects of long-term whole-body vibration exercise, serum IGF-1 measurements were taken at baseline and at weeks 1, 3, and 6 of the intervention. To test the short-term effects, at week 1, serum IGF-1 measurements were taken before and immediately following a session of whole-body vibration exercise.
Treatment adherence was 93% in the vibration group and 92% in the control group. None of the subjects dropped out of the study. There was an absence of change in IGF-1 at week 1 and week 6 of whole-body vibration exercise.
Results show no change in serum IGF-1 levels in women with fibromyalgia undergoing whole-body vibration exercise. Although high-intensity exercise and whole-body vibration exercise have been shown to increase serum IGF-1 in healthy individuals, the effectiveness of whole-body vibration exercise as a strategy to produce improvements in serum IGF-1 levels in women with fibromyalgia could not be demonstrated.