Culver City, CA – August 1 – A recent study at Leuven University in Belgium, and published in the Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, confirms that the whole body vibration produced by Power Plate® “elicits muscle contraction involuntary and it induces strength gain in previously untrained subjects within a short period of time without much effort.”

The study also suggests that Power Plate® has “great potential in a therapeutic context where it may enhance muscular performance in patients and elderly, who are not attracted to, or who are not able to perform standard exercise programs.” So while professional sports teams have already widely accepted the obvious benefits to the performance and health of their multi-million dollar athletes, health clubs and rehabilitation centers will be taking Power Plate® mainstream to provide their clients with this alternative method to strenuous and time consuming weight training.

“The Leuven study is validation of what we’ve always envisioned, and witnessed through the product’s widespread use overseas, that the true impact and potential for the Power Plate and whole body vibration was in its ability to improve the health of every American, male and female,
young or old,” said Jerry Beckman, CEO of Power Plate North America. “Whole body vibration provides a method that anyone can engage in to extend and improve their quality of life, not only for younger adults, but especially seniors and those debilitated individuals who to date have had very few methods available that suit their unique physical limitations.”
Power Plate® utilizes revolutionary principles of whole body vibration therapy to substantially improve muscle strength and performance, flexibility, enhance critical blood flow throughout the body, expedite the recovery and regeneration of damaged tissue, and ultimately, enhance the
general wellness and quality of life for individuals young and old, regardless of one’s physical and neurological condition.

Leuven Study Results

The Leuven Study found that subjects who trained on the Power Plate for 12 weeks produced slightly higher gains in strength than those who use conventional equipment. The study concluded that vibration training, “and the muscle contractions it provokes, appear to be an efficient training stimulus to increase muscle strength.” One of the key factors not widely known about the study is that the subjects using the Power Plate® trained for only 10 minutes three times a week, while those using conventional methods trained for 50 minutes three times a week.

“The combination of tangible results in a fraction of the time with minimal physical stress is a remarkable breakthrough and could usher in a new age in training for those seeking to maintain wellness and longevity,” said Dr. Jim Stoppani, Science Editor at Muscle & Fitness Magazine. “Power Plate’s® ability to produce greater results in less time could attract more Americans to get on a regular program, which would substantially impact the average American’s level of health.”

During the product’s introductory year in 2002, immediate recognition came from professional sports strength & conditioning professionals from teams including pro football’s Oakland Raiders, baseball’s Chicago Cubs and hockey’s Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who aggressively seek the latest technologies and methods in order to maintain an advantage in the highly competitive world of professional sports. Yet, due to its rapid success with elite athletes in the sports world, more and more mainstream health & fitness, and wellness experts are recognizing that the Power Plate and it’s whole body vibration technology, offer equally substantial, if not greater,
benefits to mainstream consumers of all ages, regardless of potential physical limitations.

“The fact that elite fitness professionals responsible for the health and livelihood of multi-million dollar athletes are confidently turning to the Power Plate within their training regimens speaks volumes for the validity and credibility of this product and the technology at its core,” said Michael Neitzke, General Manager of the Spectrum Club in West Los Angeles. “The
positive response and results we are seeing with our Spectrum Club members every day are proof that The Power Plate and whole body vibration technology can effectively create healthier and longer lives for everyone, regardless of age or physically restrictive conditions.”

The Power Plate can be used alone or as a pre- and post-workout complement to traditional strength training and cardiovascular exercise and provides its wide array of conditioning benefits in a fraction of the time needed for traditional exercise routines. Based on the Power Plate’s initial success and exposure, major universities such as the
University of Southern California, University of Nebraska and Ohio State University are a few of the institutions now utilizing the machine. In addition, the University of Houston, Clear Lake, a primary research hub for NASA, is currently doing testing on the Power Plate to identify its
potential applications within the space program.

Leuven Study Results

Power Plate employs a 20-by-32-inch body positioning plate housing a driving mechanism that evenly distributes vibrations throughout the body, accelerating and magnifying the same contraction and relaxation muscular reflexes employed when performing traditional weight
training exercises. However, whereas traditional resistance training methods only provide resistance on a single linear axis, resistance effects of Power Plate occur on multiple axis stimulating the entire body of fibers within a given muscle group, taxing and conditioning the muscle group to its most substantial extent.

Developed by Russian scientists for use with elite Olympic athletes during the 1970s, the dramatic effects of whole body vibration were evidenced by the Russian’s dominant Olympic run during this period. Identifying these incredible results, the Russian space program turned to whole body vibration with Russian cosmonauts to combat the degenerating effects of zero gravity on bone and muscle tissue.

These discoveries, along with several studies, are showing that whole body vibration can serve as an extremely valuable method for combating osteoporosis without the aid of pharmacology – a disease that takes the lives of millions each year.