Does whole body vibration therapy assist in reducing fat mass or treating obesity in healthy overweight and obese adults? A systematic review and meta-analyses

Purpose: This review describes the effects of Whole Body Vibration therapy (WBV) for reducing fat mass (%/kg) among healthy (no comorbid disease) overweight and obese adults. Materials and Methods: Systematic literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PubMed databases up to 27(th) March 2019. Studies evaluating the effects of WBV therapy on fat mass as a primary or secondary outcome among healthy (no comorbid disease), overweight or obese adults (Body Mass Index >= 25) were included. Results: Following the search, 2,420 studies were reviewed and 1,603 studies were selected for title and abstract screening. Of 153 studies considered for full-text review, 13 controlled trials were included in the systematic review. Two meta-analyses were performed for five studies. The first random effects (I-2 = 70%, p-value = 0.02) meta-analysis, revealed a statistically significant mean change for percent fat mass (-2.56, 95% CI: -3.81, -1.31). The second fixed effects meta-analysis, revealed a significant mean change (-1.91, 95% CI: -2.64, -1.18) for fat mass/kg. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analyses indicate a positive effect of Whole Body Vibration therapy on reducing fat mass (%/kg), especially when combined with conventional weight loss interventions specifically, diet and exercise.

Automated summary

This systematic review and meta-analyses suggest a positive effect of Whole Body Vibration therapy on reducing fat mass (%/kg), especially when combined with conventional weight loss interventions such as diet and exercise.