The good and bad of positive research. This new study is going to be used by every single company that sells something that vibrates up, down, sideways or tilts fast enough to be called a vibration and even though some companies would be justified in using it to support the effectiveness of their product, about 99% of the industry have NO claim to the positive outcomes shown in that report.
Here are the Power Plate facts
The study was done on a newer Power Plate machine designed to take heavier loads. It was a fiberglass Lineal machine and would be considered to be at the upper end of the “Medium Energy Lineal” as per our review categories.
No one except Power Plate and other companies on that same/similar level and above can rightfully use this study in any kind of advertising. I think this is logical to most, but we will soon see how many people in our industry come up with justifications for twisting it for their own marketing purposes. I am quite sure I will be slamming a few companies in the very near future for exactly that, but for now we get to Power Plate’s problem.
Now of course we can not ask Power Plate to name their equals and above because that would be paramount to “sales” suicide. However, Power Plate at the same time must differentiate themselves or lose sales to much lesser and probably cheaper units. A catch 22 if there ever was one. So what are you going to do as a consumer to get around this? Everyone’s either going to lie or not say anything at all. So here is the ONLY answer…..
The old fashioned try before you buy
Yes it might seem simple, but so many people forget this common piece of advice. Trust that your body knows the “difference” in quality when it feels it, you do not need a PHD to feel something, after all, your body is very in tune with its surrounding and gives feedback you instinctively understand. No big word or fancy sales speech to worry about. Go where you can try a Power Plate (a larger model like used in the study, not a home unit), then find somewhere you can try other machines. As always the more the merrier.
A 1 minute basic squat ( as per the safety program here) is the perfect position to do these tests and don’t let the salesperson talk to you or distract you during this. Tell them to put it on a good workout setting and vibrate off. Even after only 3 units you will get the idea.
Important note: No one in the study we are aware of had any injuries or physical limitations that would stop them from doing a basic squat, so if you do have one it is not advised you try this test (“its too hard” is not a physical limitation, that’s a mental one).
Having tested the machines and made an informed decision, buy the product and use it with a calorie restricted diet if you want the kind of results seen in the research, please note that buying a lighter home model for economic reasons will also vary the outcome. The whole point of this is to understand machines are NOT all the same, even if built by the same company. I am sure a number of companies that sell larger machines like those used in the research will attach it to their cheaper home models, this is also unethical without clearly disclosing it and would put them in the same bracket as the marketers who would attach it to anything that moves.
The press release concerning a six month study presented on Friday at the European Congress on Obesity that showed participants who used Vibration Training as well as a low Calorie diet had more weight loss then those using conventional exercise with the same low Calorie diet.
Here is and outline of the study
The study was conducted over a six month period, after which subjects returned to their daily lives and reported back for retesting at 12 months. In terms of weight loss:
- The Power Plate® group lost 11 percent of their body weight and maintained a 10.5 percent loss
- The diet and conventional fitness group lost 7 percent and maintained a 6.9 percent loss
- The diet only group lost 6 percent, and maintained less than 5 percent loss
Even more promising was the reduction of visceral fat:
- The Power Plate® group lost 47.8 sq. cm. (18.8 in.), and maintained a loss of 47.7 sq. cm (18.7 in.)
- The diet and conventional fitness group lost only 17.6 sq. cm. (6.93 in.), and maintained only a 1.6 sq. cm (.63 in) loss
- The diet only group lost 24.3 sq. cm. (9.57 in.) and maintained only 7.5 sq. cm. (2.95 in.) loss
We are extremely encouraged by the results of this study, especially in terms of the reduction of visceral fat, said Guss Van Der Meer, Founder of Power Plate®. Obesity is a major concern both in the United States and worldwide and we are excited that Power Plate® exercise may provide a low-impact way for people to lose weight and belly fat.
This study was funded by the Artesis University College of Antwerp and has not been peer reviewed as of yet. It does show promising results for the industry, in general, even though this study was conducted using Power Plate machines.
Hello Ted,
I just learnt about this Study and intended to share it here; but you are one step in front and have it posted already.
Thanks!
Timothy
Let’s not overlook this one either:
Whole-body vibration training increases muscle strength and mass in older women: a randomized-controlled trial (link below).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19422657?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Don’t think I saw this one posted.
Could somebody go on the forum (Core Talk) at http://www.coreperformance.com and ask what happened to Power Plate’s worldwide educator Scott Hopson (ask them to verify if Scott is still with Power Plate, if Power Plate still has Chicago headquarters?). Athletes’ Performance (AP) runs the CP site and of course is a partner of Power Plate. They won’t answer anything. Also, AP client Manny Ramirez was recently suspended 50 games by MLB for PEDS. Read the “winning with integrity” statement at the bottom of the homepage at http://www.athletesperformance.com. So far, they haven’t said a thing about banning Manny from AP facilities. How’s that for hypocrisy? Is it any wonder Power Plate and AP are partners?
I’ve called Mark Verstegen I don’t know how many times and he won’t answer. When people don’t answer simple questions it makes me think they must have something to hide.
Gabriel.
Thanks for sharing the study out of Spain on older women which has been peer-reviewed. This is a potential huge market for the vibration industy – not just older postmenopausal females, but I think the anti-aging crowd in general.
I can’t get onto Sals’s site – apparently it’s experiencing a very high load! Everyones’ obviously trying to ask for explanations!
Scott is no longer with Power Plate. He was let go for financial reasons. Head office moved from Chicago to LA.
Well, now we at least seem to know what happened to Scott Hopson!
The research helps justify our efforts to grow the industry but I doubt it will boost sales or awareness. Consumers have become too hard up for money to buy a $4500+ machine. It really comes down to the fact that most people are only purchasing the neccessities.
We can’t sit here and pretend its just PowerPlate thats hurting. The whole fitness industry in general is tanking. Busy Body who distributed Power Plate and at one time the Ironman resulotion went under closing over 100 stores. Now many of the smaller independantly owned fitness stores are not making sales which is forcing them to slowly shut their doors. When those retailers start sinking, they stop paying their supplying manufacturer. It’s a trickle up effect here.
I know several stores that have gone BK here and not paid vendors like PowerPlate hundreds of thousands that they owed them.
Its going to be interesting to see how many of these big companies survive.
Jon, It is never pleasing to see people losing thier jobs and hard working and above board business’s close thier doors. However, consumers still have the option of WBV studios rather than buying machines.
Our studio has not seen any drop off in clientelle, in fact we are ahead of the same period last year.
Quality of service and equipment, which leads to postive results, are essential factors for survival during tough times
That’s true but we need good studies on all the vibration modalities out there. Just because Power Plate may have been the first to capture a large part of the market does not mean Power Plate is the best or even one of the best.
It would be interesting to know how members of Power Plate’s Sports Medicine Advisory Board are being compensated? One member of this board (Mark Verstegen) and his company Athletes’ Performance (AP) have been corporate partners with Power Plate for some time. This raises conflict of interest issues. Mark, as far as I know, has never revealed what Power Plate is paying him/AP. He certainly won’t tell me as I have called him numerous times.
One thing Mark/AP are doing with their corporate partner Power Plate is featuring this equipment in coreperformance centers they are opening. This is kind of how the marketing thing works I guess? It seems to be tied to $. I know Mark complexes Power Plate exercises with resistance training exercises for neural potentiation. Does this work? A scientist friend of mine who does not have financial ties to Power Plate completed a pilot study looking at this in college track & field throwers and saw virtually nothing. They will do more studies. Also, an MD told me on the phone he will not use vibration as a neural potentiation right prior to squats because it alters kinesthesia. So, at least some of Power Plate being integrated into fitness routines appears to be mainly based on marketing and not scientific evidence showing Power Plate protocols to be beneficial for aspects such as neural potentiation.
I have a PowerPlate my5 at home and its awesome I don’t understand alot of the negativity against the machines they give amazing results! It’like the BMW of cars why would you waste your money on a cheaper car which is likely to under perform?
Bella
X
John Sutherland,
Also, read my recent comments under the Acceleration heading. I just looked and Power Plate still has David Nieman listed as a PhD and heading the Power Plate Research Center (at Appalachian State). Nieman is a “doctor of public health” (DPH) and not a PhD. I just spoke with Dr. Jeff McBride Mon. McBride is a colleague of Nieman’s. McBride and Nieman did a grand total of two studies on Power Plate at the “Power Plate Research Center” at Appalachian State and don’t have plans to do anymore studies on Power Plate according to Dr. McBride. So, if Power Plate is so great why can’t they be honest on their website? This is just the latest in a long line of ethical issues. Why don’t you tell the Power Plate marketers to “pull their heads out” and correct the information they currently have about Nieman and the Power Plate Research Center on their website? Do all the marketing folks at Power Plate have IQ’s below room temperature? They must because I catch them on this stuff repeatedly!
I looked at Power Plate’s site and they have now corrected Dr. Nieman’s information saying he is a DPH and not a PhD. However, they are still misleading people under Nieman’s name on their Advisory Board by saying he heads the Power Plate Research Center at Appalachian State. As I mentioned above, Dr. McBride told me he and Nieman did a total of two studies on Power Plate at Appalachian State and didn’t have any plans to do anymore. Thus, when Power Plate says Nieman heads the Power Plate Research Center at Appalachian State they imply something is going on currently and it’s not. You can view this at http://www.powerplate.com, select U.S., and go to the Education heading. Under Education select Advisory Board and read the information under Dr. David Nieman’s name. It’s funny Dr. McBride just told me a couple weeks ago on the phone that they didn’t have a thing going on currently with Power Plate and no plans for the future. Thus, it looks like the dim bulbs as Power Plate are still doing everything they can to deceive people.
Power Plate has not corrected the information under Dr. David Nieman’s name on their Advisory Board at http://www.powerplate.com. Power Plate is still misleading people saying there’s a “Power Plate Research Center” at Appalachian State. As mentioned above, Dr. Jeff McBride who is a colleague of Dr. Nieman’s at Appalachian State just told me on the phone a little over three weeks ago that he and Nieman did a total of two studies on Power Plate and did not have any plans to do anything else with Power Plate. So, if Power Plate would be honest (wink, wink) they would remove information under Nieman’s name saying there is a “Power Plate Research Center” at Appalachian State. There’s not a thing going on with any Power Plate research at Appalachian State currently nor are there plans for Power Plate studies at Appalachian State in the future according to Dr. Jeff McBride 16 days ago when we spoke. When will we see Power Plate remove the reference to a “Power Plate Research Center” at Appalachian State under Dr. Nieman’s name on their Advisory Board?