What is Power Plate?

Power Plate® equipment is the premium vibration device powering a new dimension in wellness solutions for all ages, lifestyles and physical abilities. It uses the principles of Acceleration Training™ to stimulate the body’s natural response to vibration.

These vibrations transmit waves of energy throughout the body, activating muscle contractions between 25 and 50 times per second, enhancing overall performance in sessions as short as 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week.

Acceleration Training™ on Power Plate® equipment offers a host of benefits, ranging from an immediate improvement in blood circulation, to a variety of other measurable outcomes: such as increased muscle strength and flexibility, improved range of motion, decreased cellulite, increased bone mineral density, reduced pain and soreness and faster recovery.

Our three-dimensional vibration technology continues to lead the industry, and its benefits are grounded in extensive academic and independent scientific medical research.

How Does It Work?

Acceleration Training™ with Power Plate® machines creates instability in the human body, as with each vibration the body is forced to perform reflexive muscle actions, 25 to 50 times per second. Furthermore, these contractions must work in multiple dimensions as the Power Plate® machines actually oscillate in all three planes, exactly as the human body is designed to do. The net result is an incredible improvement in force production, or strength and power.

The principle by which Power Plate® machines work lies in the law of motion, stated by Sir Isaac Newton: that the force of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by acceleration, or f = m x a. What this means is that one can improve functional force (stability, strength or power) by either applying more mass or more acceleration to the body. Many forms of training and conditioning use mass – as seen in methods with weight machines, free weights, etc. Power Plate® machines, instead, use the second half of this equation, by applying acceleration to the body, while keeping mass, i.e. your body weight, the same.

This is a real breakthrough in training and conditioning as we can now optimally “load” the human frame while minimizing high impact, high load, and high stress factors.  Gravity is the force that adds load to the human body every second of every day for every movement we perform. Through Acceleration Training™ exercise, Power Plate® machines make the body feel as though it “weighs” more every time acceleration forces increase.

The result is that you work against a far greater influence or “load” of gravity in every movement you perform. This is the essence of all strength and conditioning programs and Power Plate® machines simply use a different part of the same equation to achieve this! In fact, the amazing outcomes seen with Acceleration Training™ exercise respect the same biological and physiological laws of the body as witnessed in other forms of training. The difference is merely the nature of the stimulus applied (i.e. acceleration), and not the human response.

Power Plate Soccer Teams and Research

Research backs football clubs use of Power Plate® Machine

New scientific research into the effects of exercising on a Power Plate® machine is validating the choice of numerous top football clubs around the world to incorporate this form of exercise into their players’ regime.

Research by the United Kingdom’s University of Hull, released at an international student sporting conference during April 2009, showed that using a Power Plate® machine at half-time could help footballers improve physical performance and reduce the risk of injury in the second half.

Among the top international teams who already include Acceleration Training™ exercise on a Power Plate® machine in their routine are the German, Turkish and Argentinean national sides, Barcelona Football Club and well-known English Premiership clubs Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Middlesbrugh, and Bolton Wanderers, which counts Portuguese footballer Ricardo Jorge Vaz Tê among its players.

“We have been so pleased with the results that we now use it pitch-side at home matches and have incorporated it into our pre-match warm-ups and post-match warm-downs, relaxation and massage to aid in the recovery process,” says Mark Taylor, Head of Sports Medicine and Science at Bolton Wanderers FC.

The two research studies, released at the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) 2009 Annual Student Conference, will offer these football clubs yet another option, as it advocates the use of Power Plate® machines during the half time interval to keep muscles warm and active.

Daryl Carter and Stephen Barrett, who presented the research, say it could have implications for how football teams utilise the half-time break, especially as regulations do not allow players on the pitch during the interval.

“We found that using the Power Plate® machine at half-time affected the usual markers of hamstring injury early in the second half, suggesting it could be used to reduce the risk of this kind of complaint.  What’s more, using the machines had no negative effects on performance in the latter stages of the game, suggesting this half-time strategy did not cause additional fatigue,” says Daryl.

The research found players’ muscular strength and jump performance were decreased by 6 and 7% respectively, after a typical resting half-time period.  However, by using the Power Plate® machine in the final few minutes of the half-time interval, jump performance did not deteriorate and strength was only reduced by 3%.

The research, commissioned by Power Plate International, took place at the University’s Sports and Exercise Science laboratories, using a specially-designed program which simulates a soccer match.

Power Plate and Hull University Research

The  University of Hull

Why footballers need to step up to the Plate

Using a Power Plate® machine at half-time could help footballers improve physical performance and reduce the risk of injury in the second half, according to research by the University of Hull.

The Power Plate® machine is used by some Premier League teams as part of pre-match training programmes, but these new studies advocate their use during the half-time interval itself to keep muscles warm and active.

The results of two studies using the Power Plate® machine were presented as part of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) 2009 Annual Student Conference, hosted by the University of Hull on 31^st March and 1^st April 2009.

Daryl Carter and Stephen Barrett, both in their final year at Hull, say their research could have implications for how football teams utilise the half-time break, especially as regulations do not allow players on the pitch during the interval.

Daryl said: “At the moment, most footballers come in at half-time and just sit down for 15 minutes while their coach talks tactics. Previous research has found that performance is then reduced when they go out for the second half, and there is more risk of injury.

“No study before has looked at the impact of a half-time ‘re-warm up’ in a controlled and specific environment, and how that can affect muscular performance and lower limb stability in footballers.

“We found that using the Power Plate® machine at half-time affected the usual markers of hamstring injury early in the second half, suggesting it could be used to reduce the risk of this kind of complaint.  What’s more, using the machines had no negative effects on performance in the latter stages of the game, suggesting this half-time strategy did not cause additional fatigue.”

Stephen added: “The message is simple; in a game where the smallest of margins can win or lose a game, football players must keep their muscles moving and warm, or risk a greater chance of injury and reduced physical performance when they go back out for the second half.”

The research found players’ muscular strength and jump performance were decreased by 6 and 7% respectively, after a typical resting half-time period.  However, by using the Power Plate® machine in the final few minutes of the half-time interval, jump performance did not deteriorate and strength was only reduced by 3%.

The research, commissioned by Power Plate International, took place at the University’s Sports and Exercise Science laboratories, using a specially-designed programme which simulates a soccer match.

The BASES conference included workshops and addresses led by world-class sports scientists from Australia, America, Italy and the UK, on subjects ranging from how training in heat affects the body, to the impact of new technology such as video analysis on the relationship between players and coaches. More than 300 delegates attended from universities in the UK and as far as Poland, Nigeria and the Philippines.

For press enquiries, please contact Sian Alexander on: 01482 466361 or 07809 07850 297955 or e-mail s.alexander@hull.ac.uk

Football Power Plate

Power Plate® Machines score with premiership clubs

World class footballers know that high levels of strength and fitness are crucial to deliver the performances that win trophies, and take them to the top of the table. Now Premiership football clubs across the UK – including Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton and Middlesbrough – are achieving peak fitness with the Power Plate® machine.

Chelsea Football Club recently introduced Power Plate® machines to their training programme. Rob Brinded, Conditioning & Rehabilitation Coach, comments:

“I have found the Power Plate® machine an easy piece of equipment to integrate into our conditioning and prevention protocols. The players feel that it helps them to lift better before Olympic lifting”.

Developed to optimise the effects of Acceleration Training™ exercise, Power Plate® machines deliver the equivalent of a full body workout in just 15 minutes, and also offer a massage application for the ultimate in post-match relaxation.

Power Plate® machines work by transferring vibrations to muscles, which naturally activates reflexive muscle contractions.  A static or dynamic pose, held for up to 60 seconds at a time, activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously to stretch, tone or strengthen. When used as a wider fitness programme, regular exercise on a Power Plate® machine can help to improve body tone, increase strength, power, sports performance, agility and range of motion.

“Acceleration Training exercise is fast becoming part of sports training programmes across the UK and we are delighted to be working with so many Premiership football clubs” comments Jeff Davis, Director of Commercial Sales for Power Plate UK. “The unique and extremely positive benefits of Acceleration Training exercise are quickly evident to users. It really is set to change the way many clubs train.”

Power Plate^® machines retail from £1495.00 and are available from leading department stores including Harrods and John Lewis, as well as Power Plate UK. For more information contact 020 7586 7200, email sales@powerplate.com, or visit www.powerplate.com.

For press information please contact Entice Communications on 020 8959 3656.

David James International

From kick off to commentary box, the Power Plate® Machine scores in the premiership

Every boy dreams of growing up to be a professional footballer, but along with the glory of scoring goals and winning trophies comes the hard work of keeping in prime physical condition. Now top flight footballers up and down the country are achieving peak fitness with the Power Plate® machine, the revolutionary training equipment that delivers a full body workout in just 15 minutes. Players at Premiership clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton and Middlesbrough have incorporated Power Plate® machines into their exercise programmes to great acclaim.

England Goalkeeper David James is just one of the many Premiership footballers to have discovered its benefits. He comments:
“Playing regularly in the English Premiership is very demanding, and as a goalkeeper I need to be at the peak of my physical fitness. The Power Plate® machine adds a new dimension to my training.”

Developed to optimise the effects of Acceleration Training™ exercise, the machine works by transferring vibrations to muscles, naturally activating reflexive contractions.  A static or dynamic pose, held for up to 60 seconds at a time, activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously to stretch, tone or strengthen.  When used as part of a wider fitness programme, regular exercise can help to improve muscle tone, strength and power, sports performance, flexibility and range of motion – all crucial skills for making that last-gasp save, or beating your opponent to the ball.

The Power Plate® machine also offers massage and relaxation which form an important part of many footballers’ training requirements.

Such is its increasing popularity in the sporting world that it is not just the players themselves who have joined its ever-growing fan base. Sports commentator Alan Parry adds:
“Power Plate® training has an excellent reputation in football. Many clubs use Power Plate® machines on match days as part of the players’ warm up routine. I have my own Power Plate® machine at home and I know how good it is in helping me to keep fit.”

So whether you are an armchair fan or a football fanatic, now you can train like your sporting heroes with the Power Plate® machine, and bring a slice of sporting action to your own front room.