Whole Body Vibration Elicits Differential Immune Responses Between Obese and Normal Weight Individuals
Authors: Blanks Anson M. , Rodriguez‐Miguelez Paula , Looney Jacob , Tucker Matthew A. , Jeong Jinhee , Thomas Jeffrey , Blackburn Marsha , Stepp David W. , Weintraub Neal L. , Harris Ryan A. 
Published: June 2021

Traditional aerobic exercise decreases the risk of developing inflammatory diseases in both obese and normal weight individuals. The magnitude of the anti‐inflammatory immune response following traditional exercise is reduced and the time‐course is shorter in obese compared to normal weight individuals. Although obesity may affect the ability to engage in traditional exercise, whole body vibration (WBV) has emerged as a more tolerated alternative. The impact of WBV on immune‐mediated inflammation in obesity, however, is unknown.

PURPOSE

To determine if WBV elicits a differential magnitude and time‐course of immune‐mediated inflammation between obese and normal weight individuals.

METHODS

11 obese (OB) (BMI: 35.9 ± 8.8 kg/m2, Age: 33 ± 4 y, percent body fat (%BF): 39.1 ± 2.4%) and 12 normal weight (NW) (BMI: 21.3 ± 2.2 kg/m2, Age: 29 ± 7 y, %BF: 17.4 ± 2.1%) men and women participated in this study. Following IV insertion and a resting (PRE) blood draw, each participant performed the WBV protocol, which consisted of 10 cycles of 1 minute of WBV in a static squat position followed by 30 seconds of rest. Following completion of the WBV protocol, blood samples were obtained immediately (POST), 1 hour (1h), 3 hours (3h), and 24 hours (24h) post‐WBV. Blood was analyzed for leukocyte composition (immune‐mediated inflammation) and IL‐6 (muscle activation).

RESULTS

PRE leukocyte composition was not different between groups. In NW, the percentage of neutrophils decreased (1h: 62 ± 3% vs. 24h: 54 ± 3%, p=0.009) and the percentage of lymphocytes increased (1h: 28 ± 3% vs. 24h: 35 ± 2%, p=0.011). In contrast, there were no changes in leukocyte composition in OB. An association was observed between %BF and the percentage of monocytes at POST (r= −0.67, p=0.023) and 1h (r= −0.65, p=0.03) in OB, whereas in NW %BF was only correlated with percentage of monocytes at PRE (r= −0.61, p=0.045). Although IL‐6 was higher in OB compared with NW at each time point (all p<0.05), a similar percent change from baseline was observed between groups for all post‐WBV time points. IL‐6 at PRE was correlated with percent change at 3h (r= −0.61, p=0.048) only in OB.

CONCLUSION

WBV elicited favorable alterations in leukocyte composition over time in NW, while no change in leukocytes were detected in OB. In addition, adiposity appears to impact the timing of the leukocyte response to WBV. Although WBV provoked similar IL‐6 changes in both groups, higher concentrations of IL‐6 at PRE appeared to be related to smaller changes at 3h in OB. Taken together, these data suggest a differential inflammatory immune response to WBV exercise between obese and normal weight individuals.

Support or Funding Information

Supported by Medical College of Georgia TUPP award

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.