Professional athletic teams are beginning to dedicate full rooms to red light therapy. Progressive physicians are starting to tout its benefits. Countless studies have been conducted to measure its effectiveness in multiple realms of health. Red light therapy may be a relatively new topic in the medical field, but its benefits are hard to ignore.

NASA was the first to utilize it as a way to grow plants in space. After seeing the success of this, red light therapy was quickly turned into a way to heal wounds in astronauts. Now, why is this significant? What is it about this particular light that grows plants and can help heal wounds? At 650-850nm, red light therapy provides light energy to mitochondria- you have to say it with me- the powerhouse of the cell. Light sparks the mitochondria to produce more ATP. This energy makes the cells healthier, stronger, and ready to take on extra tasks.

Trent Rincon, PT, MPT, CSCS, FRAs, FRCms, stated, “with a stronger cellular system, we have a higher opportunity to perform and recover better.” Based on studies, here are three ways red light therapy measurably helps you perform and recover your best:

1. It reduces the amount of creatine kinase (CK) released into your bloodstream.
CK is an enzyme that is released when any tissue – skeletal or muscular – is damaged. With exercise, there is an inherent level of muscle damage, which is the reason we are sore after a particularly intense workout (but remember, crazy soreness is a bad sign). With regular use of red light therapy, the body releases less of this enzyme.
2. It reduces delayed onset soreness.
An added benefit of less CK being released, the muscles become stronger, or better able to adapt to stress, and less sore over time. The cellular structures in the muscles are spending their energy recovering those micro tears, and you are prepared to hit the gym sooner without significant soreness.
3. It increases muscle endurance, strength, and growth.
In a twin study, one twin was given red light therapy and one was not. The twin who underwent red light therapy was able to lift heavier and longer than the one who did not. They performed loaded, resistance exercises such as leg extensions and leg presses in order to measure muscle growth. The placebo twin in the study experienced a 5% increase of muscle growth over 12 weeks. With red light therapy, there was a 20% increase in muscle growth.

The endurance of muscles increases as soreness and damage decreases. Performance increases as recovery increases. This is the benefit of red light therapy that elite athletes are talking about.

Red light therapy devices can be found in certain gyms, are available to purchase for personal use, and are commonly found in recovery settings. Outside of devices, the sun is the inspiration for red light therapy, and it can provide the same benefits. Trent Rincon highlighted, “In the first hour of sunlight and the last hour as the sun sets, the wavelengths of the sun provide all of the benefits listed above.” Also, the UV rays are not strong enough in those first and last moments of light to cause skin damage. Red light therapy has many benefits and so does its inspired source. Both can help you recover and perform your best.

To learn more about red light therapy, visit: Optimal Performance and Recovery with Red Light Therapy by Dr. Cleber Ferraresi, PT, MS, Ph.D

If you are struggling with performance or recovery, schedule an appointment with a Spooner therapist today!

References:

Ferraresi C, Bertucci D, Schiavinato J, et al. Effects of Light-Emitting Diode Therapy on Muscle Hypertrophy, Gene Expression, Performance, Damage, and Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: Case-control Study with a Pair of Identical Twins. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. October 1, 2017; 95(10): 746-757. doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000000490. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27088469/