Time to shake a leg: literally!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Wanting to exercise is not always the problem. Sometimes it’s just exhausting.
Florian Marchand and team at the University of Savoy Mont-Blanc set out to change our perception.
They recruited fifteen cyclists. Each cyclist performed two tests that included short bouts of moderate and intense cycling. Between tests, ten minutes of vibration was applied to their knees’ and ankle tendons.
Results? Participants pedaled harder and faster with the same amount of effort!
Vibrating these tendons desensitized the nerves. This caused them to report less fatigue, meaning the same exercise felt less tiring.
So next time you feel tired, just shake it off.
Marchand, F., Pageaux, B., Forestier, N., Monjo, F., Prolonged passive vibration of Achilles and patellar tendons decreases effort perception during subsequent cycling tasks,Journal of Sport and Health Science,Volume 14 (2025) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101061.