Photobiomodulation/Fotobiomodulation - elevated sports performance

Want to perform better?

Better recovery - increases strength and thicker muscles?

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Have you heard of photobiomodulation (PBM, LLLT)

During a meta-analysis, researchers systematically assess a large body of previous research to draw conclusions about a certain topic. The topic of this meta-analysis? Photobiomodulation in human tissue.

Researchers wanted to know: how does PBM affect sports performance? What wavelengths are most effective? Is applying before or after exercise more effective?

Researchers analyzed 46 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, looking at both acute and chronic responses to PBM before and after exercise. Here's what they found:

ACUTE RESPONSE (immediate and up to 24 hours)

Pre-excercise photobiomodulation was found to increase number of reps in upper and lower limbs, and lower creatine kinase, C-reactive protein, and lactate levels in the blood in several studies. Some also looked at MVIC (maximum voluntary isometric contraction) as a measurement of muscle torque, and found that it improved IMMEDIATELY, and up to 24 hours after.

Post-exercise photobiomodulation was found to lower DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), and decrease CK, lactate, and inflammatory markers in several studies. However, results were mixed whether it increased number of repetitions.

CHRONIC RESPONSE (after prolonged photobiomodulation treatment)

Both pre and post-excercise photobiomodulation were found to increase muscle thickness, maximum load for leg press, muscle hypertrophy, number or repetitions, and maximum torque. This is interesting because acute results for pre-exercise PBM were a lot more compelling than acute results for post-exercise PBM. With chronic use, it didn't matter whether researchers used PBM before or after exercise, the results were about the same.

The meta analysis is clear - If you want improved performance, you should seriously consider photobiomodulation