Whole body vibration and treadmill training in Parkinson's disease rehabilitation: effects on energy cost and recovery phases.

Background: Although physical treatment is recognized as being beneficial for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), there is scant literature on the type of rehabilitation program most useful for patients with PD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two different training protocols (aerobic treadmill training, AER and whole body vibration training, WBVT) on energy cost and adaptations after exercise and recovery phases, by means of the oxygen consumption measurement and the assay of metabolic biochemical substrates.

Methods: Twenty male patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, aged 51-66 years, were enrolled.