Summary
Dave Asprey interviews Dr. Tommy Re, a board-certified chiropractor who worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, about the science behind whole body vibration. The episode frames vibration as a "cheat code" that delivers the circulatory benefits of exercise without joint stress. Dr. Re explains the nitric oxide mechanism: vibration creates shearing force on blood vessels, triggering vasodilation and improved microcirculation throughout the body. Key insights include that 10 minutes on a power plate provides more shearing force than walking due to 30+ Hz frequency versus 50 steps per minute, that vibration is better than walking for people with arthritis since it avoids joint degradation, and that pelvic floor benefits are particularly strong for women. Dave shares that Upgrade Labs has power plates in all locations, and discusses using vibration for planking, stretching, and isometric holds. The episode also covers lymphatic drainage via the muscle pump mechanism and microcirculation improvements to the smallest blood vessels.
Key Points
- Vibration triggers nitric oxide production through shearing force on blood vessels, causing vasodilation and improved circulation
- 10 minutes on a power plate delivers more shearing force than walking due to 30-50 Hz frequency vs ~50 steps per minute
- Better than walking for people with arthritis since it avoids joint range-of-motion degradation
- Pelvic floor benefits are stronger for women -- may help with incontinence issues
- Microcirculation improves to the smallest vessels including those in eyes, toes, and around the heart
- Lymphatic drainage works through micro-contractions that pump metabolic waste from extremities back to the core
- Isometric holds on the plate (planking, push-ups) isolate upper body while standing targets whole body
- Dave Asprey has power plates in all Upgrade Labs locations for 5-10 minute client sessions
Key Moments
Nitric Oxide and Shearing Force Mechanism
Dr. Tommy Re explains that vibration creates shearing force on blood vessels, triggering nitric oxide production which vasodilates vessels and improves circulation -- the same benefit you get from exercise but in a fraction of the time.
"One of the things that we discovered here, Dr. Louis Nguarno, right, he's the Nobel Prize winner of this compound is called nitric oxide. That is what you're trying to achieve."
Vibration Is Better Than Walking for Joint Health
For people with arthritis, vibration platforms deliver circulatory benefits without the joint degradation that comes from walking with limited range of motion and shortened strides.
"Let's say, like, for instance, I'm 57 years old, so I have arthritis in my body. So, there's some things I can and can't do. And when you do a walk, you're having limited range of motion. You're not getting a full hip range of motion or your knee range of motion."
Pelvic Floor Benefits and Elderly Sexual Function
Vibration provides stronger pelvic floor benefits for women compared to men, and has been reported to improve sexual function even in elderly men in their 80s and 90s.
"There's a better benefit for females when it comes to the pelvic flora syndrome. Oh, wow. So you can stop sneeze peeing with a pelvic?"
Lymphatic Drainage Through Micro-Contractions
Vibration creates micro-contractions that act like a pump, pushing lymphatic fluid and metabolic waste from the extremities back to the core. Dave notes that vibration provides lymphatic, circulatory, muscle, bone, and joint benefits simultaneously.
"It feels like when I'm doing power plate, I feel like there's a lymphatic effect, there's a circulatory effect, there's a muscle effect, there's a bone effect, probably something in joints. Talk to me about lymphatic drainage."
