Augmenting Aerobic Exercise With Whole-Body Vibration Improves Fasting Blood Glucose in Female Young Adults With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Obesity is a major risk factor for impaired glucose metabolism and the development of type 2 diabetes. While aerobic exercise is widely recommended for glycaemic control, emerging evidence suggests that combining aerobic exercise with whole-body vibration may enhance metabolic outcomes. However, evidence from randomised controlled trials in young adults remains limited. To evaluate the effect of a 12-week vibro-aerobic exercise programme on fasting blood glucose among obese young adults. This study was a parallel-group randomised controlled trial involving obese young adults (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). Participants were randomly assigned to either a vibro-aerobic exercise group or a conventional aerobic exercise group for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was fasting blood glucose (mmol/L), measured at baseline and post-intervention. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare post-intervention values between groups, adjusting for baseline fasting blood glucose and BMI. After adjustment for baseline values, the vibro-aerobic group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in fasting blood glucose compared to the conventional aerobic group (adjusted mean difference = −0.419 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.512 to −0.326; p < 0.001). The intervention effect size was large (partial η² = 0.776), indicating a substantial treatment effect. A 12-week whole-body vibration–enhanced aerobic exercise programme significantly improves fasting blood glucose compared to conventional aerobic exercise in obese young adults. This combined approach may offer a more effective strategy for early metabolic risk reduction.