Light-emitting diode phototherapy improves muscle recovery after a damaging exercise

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of light-emitting diode phototherapy (LEDT) at 630 nm on muscle recovery after a damaging eccentric exercise bout. Seventeen healthy young male volunteers, without previous experience with eccentric exercise, were included in a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. They were divided into a LEDT (n = 8) and a PLACEBO group (n = 9). To induce muscle damage, subjects performed 30 eccentric contractions with a load of 100 % of maximal voluntary isometric contraction strength of the elbow flexors of the non-dominant arm. LEDT group subjects received biceps brachii phototherapy (λ 630 nm; total energy density, 20.4 J/cm2) immediately after the exercise bout. The LEDT in the placebo group was aimed at the muscle, but it remained turned off. Isometric muscle strength, muscle soreness, and elbow range of motion (ROM) were measured before and at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h the after eccentric exercise bout and compared between groups. Our results showed that the muscle soreness, muscle strength loss, and ROM impairments were significantly reduced up to 96 h after a damaging eccentric exercise bout for the LEDT group compared with the PLACEBO group. A single LEDT (630 nm) intervention immediately after a damaging eccentric exercise bout was effective in terms of attenuating the muscle soreness and muscle strength loss and ROM impairments.

Photobiomodulation in human muscle tissue: an advantage in sports performance?

“…Investigating the effects of PBM by LEDT (630 nm) applied after an exercise protocol to induce muscle damage by eccentric elbow flexion/extension, Borges, Cerqueira (level 1b) reported a reduction in DOMS, and a slower decay in the isometric force able to be exerted by the LEDT group when compared to the placebo group in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial. The authors also reported less restriction or a smaller decrease in the range of motion possible in the LEDT group 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h after induction of muscle damage.…”

Phototherapy for Improvement of Performance and Exercise Recovery: Comparison of 3 Commercially Available Devices

“…The positive effects seen in recent studies were obtained with red 8,9 and infrared wavelengths 9-13 generated by both laser [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] and LED [14][15][16][17] devices. Various exercises that represent sport-specific activities have been tested: repeated contractions, 8,10,11,13,15 isometric sustained contraction, 9,16,17 cycling, 14 and running. 12 Only a few investigators have compared PBM with other physical agents 18,19 and addressed the effectiveness of laser versus LEDs.…”

Effect of ceramic-impregnated clothing on a 10 km running performance

“…Thus, it is plausible that the use of bioceramic clothes in our study improved muscle soreness in periods when this variable was not being monitored. On the other hand, Borges et al 40 applied 630 nm LED on the biceps muscle after eccentric exercise bouts and observed that this intervention was sufficient to significantly relieve muscle soreness up to 96 h after LED application. However, the authors emphasize phototherapy was applied to an injured muscle, which might cause different effects than application before potentially effects different from 40 .…”