Whole-body vibration exposure during snowboard with lower limb amputations

Understanding whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure in sports is crucial for improving equipment design, enhancing athlete comfort, safeguarding his health, and maintaining performance standards without compromise. This is all the more important for athletes with disabilities whose muscular and postural control abilities may be alterned, making the management of vibrations a significant concern. This preliminary study focused on snowboarding with transtibial and transfemoral amputed athletes. Vibration exposure was assessed through the ISO 2631-1:1997 guidelines. Additional analysis was proposed to describe the vibration propagation throughout the athletes’ body. The results outlined that vibration exposure during snowboarding practice exceeds the limits typically used in workplaces. This raises the question of adapting existing standards from the workplace to sports practice on one hand, and also individualizing them to the specific needs of each individual on the other.