UA to conduct research study on Nitrofit whole body vibration machine

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PHOENIX - Jonathan Hyams, the owner and founder of Medvibe, a Phoenix-based manufacturer of exercise and medical rehabilitation equipment, is proud to announce Medvibe's partnership with researchers at the University of Arizona to conduct a research study about the effects of his product, the NitroFit Deluxe whole body vibration machine, on muscle strength and bone density.

Hyams' experience working with whole body vibration has solidified his faith in the technology, and he wants to address the growing health concerns of the population.

As a graduate of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Arizona, he feels it is important to launch the study at his alma mater to give something back to the school that gave him the tools to succeed.

Hyams has called upon Dr. Rita Tomás, M.D. and Dr. Scott Going, Ph.D., a physiology professor and the Director of the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Arizona, to test the results of whole body vibration on exercise and muscle functional capacity.

"I've been working with whole body vibration equipment for over five years, so I'm very confident about the results of this study," Hyams said. "I think it's really important for people to test the effectiveness of new technology, and it's always exciting to be able to learn more about my product by doing studies like this on it."

Tomas and Going, along with University of Arizona physiology students, will administer the study to 40 people between the ages of 18 and 30 - primarily UA students.

In order to be involved in the study, participants must have a clean bill of health and not been engaged in weight training activities for the past year.

"I'm proud to come back to my alma mater and hopefully help these students with their fitness goals," Hyams said.

The study will randomly split the 40 participants into two equal groups. One will be a variable group, in which participants will perform a series of warm-up, stretching and lower body exercises on the NitroFit Deluxe at a set speed setting on the machine. The other will be a control group, in which participants will perform the same exercises without the NitroFit.

The study will last for 12 weeks and the participants will work out three times a week for about 45 minutes. In order to measure the results of the exercises, participants in both groups will be put through a machine before, during and after the 12-week program that measures body composition and bone density, called the GE/Lunar Prodigy DXA.

Also, a Biodex System 3 Whole Body Dynamometer will measure the participants' isokinetic strength and power in the quadriceps and hamstring muscles throughout the training program.

Isokinetic contractions are types of contractions that occur when muscles exercise at a constant speed.

The study is expected to begin in late January.

In the future, Dr. Going hopes to expand this research to test the effects of WBV on osteoarthritis and bone ailments in the elderly.