Power Plate & Osteoporosis

Culver City, CA – March 22 – A recently completed six-month study at Leuven University in Belgium, now available on-line and slated for
publishing in the March issue of the Journal of Bone & Mineral Research,
confirms that The Power Plate® and the body vibration® technology at its core, can substantially increase bone mineral density, providing an effective method in the prevention of Osteoporosis, regardless of one’s physical limitations or disabilities.

Furthermore, Power Plate North America, LLC., the only mass distributor
of a body vibration® mechanism in North America, announced a strategic
partnership with American Health Sciences (AHS), developer of
Clinician’s Choice™ Osteo Guard, a leading over-the-counter supplement
assisting in Osteoporosis prevention. Currently 10 million Americans
suffer from Osteoporosis, particularly women who comprise 80 percent of
this group, with an additional nearly 34 million Americans already displaying low bone mass levels, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. One in two women and one in four men are at risk for osteoporosis by age 65. However, while often assumed to only effect the elderly, Osteoporosis can strike at any age.

“Yet again, science is supporting and reinforcing the incredible benefits of

the Power Plate and body vibration® that we’ve been championing in this country for nearly two years,” said Jerry Beckman, president and CEO of Power Plate North America, LLC. “It’s no secret that we are an aging population with an increasing focus on longevity and maintaining a high-quality active lifestyle on into our later years. To that point, it’s our utmost commitment to continually educate the public regarding
body vibration® and the wide variety of ways it can bring health and wellness to individuals young and old regardless of potential disabilities or physical challenges.”

The Leuven study compared the results of three specific groups of healthy postmenopausal women over a six-month period to assess the effects of body vibration training on bone mineral density, in comparison to those of conventional resistance training. The “vibration” group utilized the Power Plate and its body vibration® technology as its sole training method three times a week for sessions lasting a maximum of 20 minutes. The “resistance” group exclusively utilized conventional resistance training also three times a week but with sessions lasting a maximum on one
hour, and the “control” group did not engage in any training regimen whatsoever.

The study measured bone mineral density effects on the total hip and revealed a significant net increase of 1.51 percent in the vibration group in comparison to the resistance group who revealed no increases in bone mineral density whatsoever. In addition to measuring the effects of body vibration® on bone mineral density, the study also measured the technology’s ability to improve balance and reduce the frequency of falls among seniors that so often can result in serious injury, as well as its
ability to increase muscle strength. Dynamic balance capability increased significantly by within the vibration group, with no increases shown among the resistance group. Furthermore, the vibration group saw a significant 16 percent increase in muscle strength, identical to those of the resistance group; however, achieved in a fraction of the time and without the rigorous and potentially degenerative effects of higher impact
conventional resistance training.

The positive results of this study underscore the strategic partnership with AHS as it combines two proven weapons in the fight to prevent Osteoporosis. AHS is in the early stages of its own research to validate the absorption enhancement abilities of the Power Plate, and to measure the combined effects of these two preventative methods. The results of these studies will be publicized later in 2004.

”Based on anecdotal research and first-hand experiences, all signs point toward the Power Plate’s ability to enhance the body’s absorption capabilities and actually increase the effects of pharmaceuticals and supplements such as Osteo Guard, which directly led us to this partnership,” said John Mamana, M.D., CEO of American Health Sciences
(AHS) “We believe that Osteo Guard, an effective and proven supplement in helping prevent osteoporosis, in combination with the Power Plate and its revolutionary body vibration® therapy, will become the standard for the millions of Americans, particularly women, intent on maintaining healthy levels of bone mass and preventing the onset of this crippling disease.”

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 since, are further reinforcement of body vibration® as an effective preventative method against osteoporosis.