Vortex wave stimulation (VWS) elicits acute physiological responses congruent with musculoskeletal adaptive remodelling in healthy older adults, elevating myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis, increasing myoelectrical activity, and reducing muscle oxygen saturation, lactate, and bone turnover markers.
Key Findings
Results
VWS increased integrated myofibrillar muscle protein synthesis (iMyoPS) above habitual rates in healthy older adults.
iMyoPS increased by 0.23% day-1 above habitual rates following VWS (P = 0.025)
Fourteen older adult participants were studied using deuterium oxide (D2O) stable oral isotope tracer consumed for 7 days
Serial skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained to measure integrated rates over approximately 48 hours before (habitual) and after two consecutive-day bouts of VWS
The increase was specific to myofibrillar protein fraction, not sarcoplasmic
Results
VWS did not significantly increase integrated sarcoplasmic muscle protein synthesis (iSarcPS) above habitual rates.
iSarcPS showed a non-significant change of 0.07% day-1 above habitual rates following VWS (P = 0.582)
This contrasts with the significant increase observed in myofibrillar protein synthesis
The differential response between myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic fractions suggests specificity of the VWS stimulus
Results
Myoelectrical activity increased during VWS, indicating muscle activation in response to the mechanical stimulus.
Myoelectrical activity increased by 9.47 µV during VWS (P = 0.010)
Myoelectrical activity was measured during the VWS bouts
This finding indicates that VWS was sufficient to elicit measurable muscle recruitment
Results
Muscle oxygen saturation decreased at both the gastrocnemius and quadriceps during VWS.
Muscle oxygenation decreased at the gastrocnemius (P = 0.001) and quadriceps (P = 0.017) during VWS
Muscle oxygenation was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy or similar technique (described as muscle oxygenation measurement)
Reduced muscle oxygen saturation is consistent with increased local metabolic demand during VWS
Results
Serum P1NP (a bone formation marker) and blood lactate concentrations were reduced following VWS.
P1NP concentration was reduced by 8.27 µg L-1 post-VWS (P < 0.001)
Lactate concentration was reduced by 0.84 mmol L-1 post-VWS (P < 0.001)
No significant differences were observed in other inflammatory or bone turnover biomarkers measured
Pre-post changes in peripheral blood flow following VWS were also not significant
Results
There was no difference in the expression of anabolic signalling proteins or peripheral blood flow following VWS.
Regulatory anabolic signalling protein expression was assessed from serial skeletal muscle biopsies
No statistically significant changes in anabolic signalling proteins were detected post-VWS
Peripheral blood flow was measured pre- and post-VWS with no significant differences observed
The absence of detectable signalling changes despite increased MPS may reflect the sensitivity of the signalling measurements or timing of assessment
Conclusions
This is the first study to demonstrate that VWS elicits acute physiological responses congruent with musculoskeletal adaptive remodelling in older adults.
Study used a within-participant design with 14 healthy older adult participants
VWS was delivered over two consecutive-day bouts
The study measured a comprehensive set of outcomes including muscle protein synthesis, myoelectrical activity, muscle oxygenation, blood flow, and circulating biomarkers
Authors describe VWS as a 'novel mechanical stimulus' that may be relevant for scenarios where resistance exercise is not feasible
What This Means
This research suggests that a new type of mechanical stimulation called vortex wave stimulation (VWS) can trigger some of the same biological responses in muscles as exercise in healthy older adults. In the study, 14 older adults underwent two sessions of VWS on consecutive days. Researchers measured how fast muscles were building new protein — a key indicator of muscle maintenance and growth — by having participants drink a harmless water-based tracer for a week and then taking small muscle samples before and after the VWS sessions. They found that VWS caused a significant increase in the rate at which muscles built a specific type of structural protein (myofibrillar protein), while also activating muscles electrically and reducing the oxygen levels in muscle tissue, both of which are signs that muscles are working.
The study also found reductions in a bone marker (P1NP) and blood lactate after VWS, though it is not yet fully clear what these changes mean in terms of long-term bone and muscle health. Notably, the researchers did not find changes in the molecular signalling pathways typically associated with muscle growth, nor in blood flow, which suggests VWS may work through mechanisms that are still not fully understood.
This research matters because many older adults, as well as people with injuries or illnesses, are unable to perform traditional resistance exercise — the gold standard for preventing age-related muscle loss. VWS could potentially offer an alternative or supplementary approach for maintaining muscle health in these groups, though the authors emphasize this is an early-stage study and further research is needed to understand its long-term effects and practical applications.
Waddell A, Korzepa M, Belfield A, Fry B, Mesquita R, Smith D, et al.. (2026). Musculoskeletal and physiological responses to vortex wave stimulation in older adults.. The Journal of physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP291437