Red light therapy can help get fit fast

Red light therapy basics

Before turning our attention into muscles and performance, let’s take a short review. We know that light has a spectrum depending on the length of radio waves. Some of them are relatively short, others are very long, and the light we see is right in the middle. The wavelength of X-rays is shorter, and we can’t see these rays. The same happens with infrared light, which has a longer wavelength as compared to visible light.

The body reacts differently to each wavelength. For example, X-rays travel through the soft tissue of the body and only reflect bone tissue. That’s why it is used for medical imaging.

Infrared light also penetrates deeper tissues, and it stimulates blood flow while doing so. By doing so, it favors nutrition and metabolic processes in our cells. This can be useful to prompt faster tissue repair and improve recovery rates in different parts of the body. That’s where the muscle tissue and sports medicine come into play.

Why is red light therapy becoming a trend in fitness?

Red light therapy has been used successfully to stimulate recovery in the skin and other body parts. But the muscle is one of the tissues that undergo more trauma every day. Even when we’re not aware, there is muscle tissue breaking and tearing apart. New muscle fibers are created in a continuous cycle.

If you’re training regularly, the number of torn muscle fibers you need to recover every day can be overwhelming. This causes soreness and sometimes compromises your performance. Naturally, a technology that speeds up recovery can be tempting if you’re worried about your gameplay.

Besides increasing your blood flow, red light therapy also speeds up the production of antioxidants. Thus, your muscles are more protected against free radicals created during strenuous exercise. These antioxidants also contribute to building muscle by promoting protein production and preventing further damage.

Depending on how you use red light therapy, you can get different benefits:

• Using red light therapy before your workout: It protects your muscle fibers from free radicals and other muscle damage sources. It reduces the degree of inflammation and the strain in your body. Thus, you may experience a reduction in muscle soreness and recovery time.
• Using red light therapy after your workout: It accelerates your muscle tissue recovery after it has been damaged or torn. It contributes to muscle adaptations to exercise by promoting the synthesis of proteins. It also modulates inflammation that is usually triggered after your workouts.

Before turning our attention into muscles and performance, let’s take a short review. We know that light has a spectrum depending on the length of radio waves. Some of them are relatively short, others are very long, and the light we see is right in the middle. The wavelength of X-rays is shorter, and we can’t see these rays. The same happens with infrared light, which has a longer wavelength as compared to visible light.

The body reacts differently to each wavelength. For example, X-rays travel through the soft tissue of the body and only reflect bone tissue. That’s why it is used for medical imaging.

Infrared light also penetrates deeper tissues, and it stimulates blood flow while doing so. By doing so, it favors nutrition and metabolic processes in our cells. This can be useful to prompt faster tissue repair and improve recovery rates in different parts of the body. That’s where the muscle tissue and sports medicine come into play. 

• Improves cell oxygenation and nutrition by increasing the blood flow (1)
• Contributes to the formation of ATP (energy) inside the cell (2)
• Improves the antioxidant profile and protects the muscle from free radicals (3)
• Protects the muscle against massive damage during strenuous exercise bouts (4)
• Repairs the muscle faster and promotes muscle adaptation (4, 5)
• Contributes to physical performance and reducing fatigue (5)
• Improves resistance to more extended strength training programs or short and intense bouts of exercise (6)

• References:

  1. Ferraresi, C., Parizotto, N. A., Pires de Sousa, M. V., Kaippert, B., Huang, Y. Y., Koiso, T., ... & Hamblin, M. R. (2015). Light‐emitting diode therapy in exercise‐trained mice increases muscle performance, cytochrome c oxidase activity, ATP, and cell proliferation. Journal of biophotonics, 8(9), 740-754.
  2. Ferraresi, C., Kaippert, B., Avci, P., Huang, Y. Y., de Sousa, M. V., Bagnato, V. S., ... & Hamblin, M. R. (2015). Low‐level laser (light) therapy increases mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP synthesis in C2C12 myotubes with a peak response at 3–6 h. Photochemistry and photobiology, 91(2), 411-416.
  3. Houreld, N. N., Masha, R. T., & Abrahamse, H. (2012). Low‐intensity laser irradiation at 660 nm stimulates cytochrome c oxidase in stressed fibroblast cells. Lasers in surgery and medicine, 44(5), 429-434.
  4. Hamblin, M. R. (2017). Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS biophysics, 4(3), 337.
  5. Ferraresi, C., Hamblin, M. R., & Parizotto, N. A. (2012). Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) on muscle tissue: performance, fatigue and repair benefited by the power of light: Low-Level-Laser (Licht)-Therapie an Muskelgewebe–Möglichkeiten zur Verbesserung der Leistungsfähigkeit und zur Behandlung von Muskelermüdung und Muskelverletzungen. Photonics & lasers in medicine, 1(4), 267-286.
  6. Ferraresi, C., Huang, Y. Y., & Hamblin, M. R. (2016). Photobiomodulation in human muscle tissue: an advantage in sports performance?. Journal of biophotonics, 9(11-12), 1273-1299.