It has been shown that mechanical vibrations applied to the muscle belly or tendons are able to stimulate sensory receptors, mainly length-detecting muscle spindles.  The primary endings of the muscle spindle stimulated by the vibration of the muscle, facilitate the activation of the alpha-motoneurons causing reflex muscle contractions.  This results in a tonic contraction of the muscle, referred to as the ‘tonic vibration reflex’ TVR.  Electromyogram (EMG) data have revealed that this neuromuscular response, TVR, is mediated by monosynaptic and polysnaptic pathways and results in increased motor unit activation.  The effect of vibration is to elicit short fast changes in the length of the muscle tendon complex through which reflex muscular activity will try to dampen vibratory waves.

In addition, Whole Body Vibration employs the law of motion to improve functional force.  Increases in strength, stability and power in the human body are a result of exercise in which either more mass or more acceleration is applied.  Most exercise and training programs use more mass, Whole Body Vibration instead uses more acceleration.

The effects of vibration depend on the properties of the muscle itself.  The response of the TVR is influenced by the frequency of vibration, whether the muscle is relaxed or contracted, the level of pre-contraction of the muscle, the position of the body (static) or association with movement (in terms of where a muscle is shortening or lengthening), as well as the combined effect of all the muscles surrounding the joint.  The vibration is not only perceived by neuromuscular spindles but also by the skin, the joints, and secondary nerve endings.