Study comparing the vibrations recorded by professional and non-professional male athletes in winter sports, skiing vs. snowboarding

Winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are becoming increasingly popular among all age groups, as practicing these sports has seen an upward trend, which has led to an increase in the number of injuries and pathologies related to them. Practicing skiing/snowboarding entails a series of vibrations occurring in the equipment, their propagation along the kinetic chain impacting both in a positive and negative way the health of the person in question. The study was a comparison, skiing vs. snowboarding, between the vibrations experienced by professional and non-professional athletes, with the main objective of determining which of them produces greater vibrations and identifying the negative and positive effects they have. The study was performed under field conditions using sensors designed to record vibrations on the ski/snowboard (tip/nose and tail), as well as vibration sensors located in the ankle, knee, hip and lumbosacral areas, designed to record the propagation of vibrations along the kinetic chain. The results show a higher level of vibrations recorded on the ski than on the snowboard, while their transmission along the kinetic chain is inversely proportional. The conclusion relates to the choice of skiing/snowboarding. Therefore, due to the Whole-Body Vibration phenomenon, young people are more likely to choose snowboarding due to the possibility of increasing bone quality and quantity, while older people are rather fond of skiing, given its effect along the kinetic chain, which protects the skeletal system. Studies have provided evidence to suggest alpine skiing is an appropriate activity for elderly as a health-enhancing sport. Thus, perhaps alpine skiing could provide the physical activity needed to counteract age-related degradation processes and loss of function.

Winter sports; Vibration; Transmission; Kinetic chain

[1] Sachtleben TR. Snowboarding injuries. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2011; 10: 340–344.

[2] Ferrera PC, McKenna DP, Gilman EA. Injury patterns with snowboard. American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 1999; 17: 575–577.

[3] Moree T.P. Snowboard injuries. British Journal of Sport Medicine. 2000; 34: 79.

[4] Carlsoo S. The effect of vibration on the skeleton, joint and muscle: a review of the literature. Applied Ergonomics. 1982; 13: 251–258.

[5] Supej M, Ogrin J, Holmberg HC. Whole-body vibrations associated with alpine skiing: a risk factor for low back pain? Frontiers in Physiology. 2018; 9: 204.

[6] Marietti S, Bailoni L, Sacchi G. Types of injury from recreational snowboarding versus skiing: single season-data from a mountainside clinic in Dolomites. Science & Sports. 2019; 34: 414–417.

[7] Pierpoint LA, Kerr ZY, Crume TL, Grunwald GK, Comstock RD, Selenke DK, et al. A comparison of recreational skiing- and snowboarding-related injuries at a Colorado ski resort, 2012/13–2016/17. Research in Sports Medicine. 2020; 28: 413–425.

[8] Rugg CD, Malzacher T, Ausserer J, Rederlechner A, Paal P, Ströhle M. Gender differences in snowboarding accidents in Austria: a 2005–2018 registry analysis. BMJ Open. 2021; 11: e053413.

[9] Dickson TJ, Terwiel FA. Injury trends in alpine skiing and a snowboarding over the decade 2008–09 to 2017–18. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2021; 24: 1055–1060.

[10] Gosselin P, Truong J, Chapdelaine C, Guilbert J, St-Pierre É, Trahan X, et al. Effect of edged snow contact on the vibration of alpine skis. Sports Engineering. 2021; 24: 26.

[11] Glenne B, DeRocco A, Foss G. Ski and snowboard vibration. Sound and Vibration. 1999; 33: 30–33.

[12] Pino EC, Colville MR. Snowboard injuries. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 1989; 17: 778–781.

[13] Machold W, Kwasny O, Gässler P, Kolonja A, Reddy B, Bauer E, et al. Risk of injury through snowboarding. The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care. 2000; 48: 1109–1114.

[14] Weinstein S, Khodaee M, VanBaak K. Common skiing and snowboarding injuries. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2019; 18: 394–400.

[15] Sorenson TJ, Borad V, Schubert W. A nationwide study of skiing and snowboarding-related facial trauma. Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction. 2022; 15: 28–33.

[16] Rarau Ski Resort. 2022. Available at: https://rarauskiresort.ro (Accessed: 15 February 2022).

[17] Men’s Burton Ripcord Flat Top Snowboard. 2022. Available at: https://www.burton.com/ro/en/p/mens-burton-ripcord-flattop-snowboard/W22-107041.html?regionSelector=true (Accessed: 15 February 2022).

[18] Redster x5 green + M 10 GW. 2022. Available at: https: //www.atomic.com/en/shop-emea/product/redster-x5-green-m-10-gw-aass02762.html (Accessed: 15 February 2022).

[19] Lian K, Hsiao S, Sung W. Intelligent multi-sensor control system based on innovative technology integration via ZigBee and Wi-Fi networks. Journal of Network and Computer Applications. 2013; 36: 756–767.

[20] Supej M, Ogrin J. Transmissibility of whole-body vibrations and injury risk in alpine skiing. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2019; 22: S71–S77.

[21] Adams C, Allen T, Senior T, James D, Hamilton N. Impact testing of snowboarding wrist protectors. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P-Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 2021. [Preprint].

[22] Thompson WR, Yen SS, Rubin J. Vibration therapy. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity. 2014; 21: 447–453.

[23] Kasturi G, Adler RA. Mechanical means to improve bone strength: ultrasound and vibration. Current Rheumatology Reports. 2011; 13: 251–256.

[24] Von Stengel S, Kemmler W. Increase of bone strength by whole body vibration training. Osteologie. 2015; 24: 30–41.

[25] Schneider A, Coulon J.M, Boyer F.C, Machado C.B, Gardan N, Taiar R, et al. Modelization and simulation of the mechanical vibration effect on bones. 2015 2nd International Conference on Computing for Sustainable Global Development (INDIACom). IEEE: New Delhi, India. 2015

[26] Vanleene M, Shefelbine SJ. Impact of whole body vibrations on osteogenesis imperfecta mouse bone. Bone. 2012; 50: S172.

[27] Ezenwa B, Burns E, Wilson C. Multiple vibration intensities and frequencies for bone mineral density improvement. 2008 30th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE: Vancouver, BC, Canada. 2008.

[28] Beck BR. Vibration therapy to prevent bone loss and falls: mechanisms and efficacy. Current Osteoporosis Reports. 2015; 13: 381–389.

[29] Marin-Puyalto J, Gomez-Cabello A, Gonzalez-Agüero A, Gomez-Bruton A, Matute-Llorente A, Casajús JA, et al. Is vibration training good for your bones? An overview of systematic reviews. BioMed Research International. 2018; 2018: 1–16.

[30] Xie L, Jacobson JM, Choi ES, Busa B, Donahue LR, Miller LM, et al. Low-level mechanical vibrations can influence bone resorption and bone formation in the growing skeleton. Bone. 2006; 39: 1059–1066.

[31] Swolin-Eide D, Magnusson P. Does whole-body vibration treatment make children’s bones stronger? Current Osteoporosis Reports. 2020; 18: 471–479.

[32] Rehn B, Nilsson P, Norgren M. Effects of whole-body vibration exercise on human bone density—systematic review. Physical Therapy Reviews. 2008; 13: 427–433.

[33] Baloy RK, Chu K. Effects of vibration training on bone mineral density: a systematic literature review. The FASEB Journal. 2021; 35: S1.00192.

[34] Prioreschi A, Oosthuyse T, Avidon I, McVeigh J. Whole body vibration increases hip bone mineral density in road cyclists. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 2012; 33: 593–599.

[35] McVeigh JA, Prioreschi A, Avidon I, Oosthuyse T. Whole body vibration increases hip bone mineral density in well-trained cyclists. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011; 43: 244.

[36] Von Stengel S, Kemmler W, Bebenek M, Engelke K, Kalender W.A. Effects of whole-body vibration training on different devices on bone mineral density. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2011; 43: 1071–1079.