Study: Whole

Here trainer Michela Rossi demonstrates an exercise on a vibrating fitness machine. Some studies... [+] have suggested that whole-body vibration (WBV) could help with muscle strength, but more studies are needed to better understand the potential benefits...and risks. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

A study has found that a vibrator may be as effective as running on a treadmill in helping lose weight and improving bone strength. Before you get excited, it's not that kind of vibrator. Instead, it's a vibrating platform that can deliver whole-body vibration (WBV), or shake the whole body. According to a study published in the journal Endocrinology, 20 minutes a day on vibrating platform over the course of three months reduced fat in the abdomen and liver and increased levels of osteocalcin, a protein that strengthens bones. This may be exciting news if you don't want to or can't participate in more strenuous exercise such as running on a treadmill, with one caveat: you have to be a mouse. If you are human, well, wait until WBV is more thoroughly tested in humans.

Here are details on the good vibrations study. A team of researchers from Augusta University assembled two different types of five-week-old mice: healthy ones and those genetically altered to become obese and diabetic. Then they put each type of mouse through one of three types of 12-week regimens: remaining sedentary, regularly running on a treadmill and regularly undergoing WBV. WBV seemed to have comparable effects to running on the treadmill in helping the mice lose weight and improving their diabetes (as measured by glucose and insulin tolerance testing). Yes, shaking the mice (which causes their muscles to contract and relax and stresses their bones) may be as effective as stirring them toward more vigorous exercise.

But before you go buy a jackhammer or start sitting on a washing machine, keep in mind that the study did not test all types of vibrations, just one specific type of WBV. This Occupational Health and Safety article from Rob Brauch summarized some of the problems that exposure to different types of vibrations can cause, such as nausea, fatigue, visual disturbances, tissue damage and talking like you're speaking into a fan. Do these concerns apply to WBV? The Augusta University study lasted only 12 weeks, probably not be long enough to study the long-term effects of WBV. And no one has definitively determined all of the possible frequencies and amplitudes at which vibrations may be helpful or harmful.

Additionally, what applies to mice doesn't necessarily apply to humans. Even though mice and humans have some similarities, they do have a number of differences. For example, mice are not allowed to rent cars and rarely wear spandex. Their bodies and physiology are different enough that treatments effective for mice may not work or may even be harmful for humans. Additionally, since mice don't tend to fill out questionnaires, the researchers could not tell all of the possible symptoms or ill effects from the WBV. More research with humans is necessary to better determine the risks and benefits of using WBV for weight loss.

Here German Olympic speedskater Anni Friesinger stands on a vibrating platform. (AP Photo/Martin... [+] Meissner)

Of course, some gyms, spas, fitness trainers and vibrating machine manufacturers have already been claiming that WBV can help you lose weight...because who cares about science these days? This Daily Mail piece says that Madonna used a vibrating plate to get into shape, and a Los Angeles Times piece stated that Sean "Diddy" Combs and Heidi Klum have "been unofficially linked" to vibrating plates as well. Certainly, the thought of just standing on a vibrating platform rather than doing real work is appealing, and the Augusta University study is promising, but...

WBV certainly will not replace all of the benefits of real cardiovascular exercise or active sports, and studies have not yet proven that WBV can lead to weight loss in humans. (In general, keep your exercise regimens and workouts varied, because a single exercise or machine is not going to bring you every possible benefit and may in fact increase the risk of injury.) Therefore, don't bank on WBV being truly effective for weight loss and diabetes treatment just yet. The available evidence for humans is still quite shaky.