Randomised study of children with obesity showed that whole body vibration reduced sclerostin.

OBJECTIVE

New strategies are required to increase physical activity and improve metabolic profiles in children with obesity. We studied the effect of whole body vibration (WBV) on children with obesity on biochemical markers of energy and bone metabolism, anthropometric measurements, muscle parameters and calcaneal bone mineral density (BMD).

METHODS

This was a randomised, prospective, controlled study of 30 children with a median age of 13 years (range 7-17) at Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, from 2013 to 2015. The target for the intervention group was to perform WBV three times a week for 12 weeks, and the study parameters were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks.

RESULTS

The 16 in the WBV group achieved 51% of the planned activity, mainly at home, and were compared with 14 controls. Sclerostin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and carboxy-terminal collagen cross-links decreased in the WBV group (p < 0.05) and balance improved (p < 0.006), but osteocalcin and insulin remained unchanged. Anthropometric data, muscle strength and calcaneal BMD did not differ between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

WBV did not affect most of the clinical parameters in children with obesity, but the reduction in sclerostin implies that it had direct effects on osteocytes, which are key players in bone mechanotransduction.