BACKGROUND: Whole-body vibration is a modality of exercise that uses high-frequency mechanical stimuli to enhance motor functions. Previous studies have demonstrated benefits of whole-body vibration in older adults. However, prolonged use of this modality of exercise may be detrimental to certain conditions. OBJECTIVES: to verify the acute effects of a single whole-body vibration session on mobility and postural control in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: In this two-arm, single-blind clinical trial, fifty-two participants were randomly allocated to either the experimental (subject to a single whole-body vibration session with a vibration amplitude of 2 mm and a frequency of 40 Hz) or placebo group. The exercise sessions were conducted using a tri-planar vibration platform. The tri-plane plates were adjusted to vibrate up and down, side to side, and front to back. The assessments included mobility and postural control tests. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were performed to examine the main effect of group (experimental versus placebo), time (baseline versus after the intervention), and group x time interaction effect. Significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: Compared with the placebo group, participants who underwent whole-body vibration showed positive outcomes in terms of mobility (p = 0.014, effect size 0.115). Contrastingly, no significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of postural control (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Benefits of a single whole-body vibration session were observed on mobility. Using whole-body vibration to improve postural control may require additional sessions. Contraindications typical of aging should be taken into account.

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