Can Red Light Therapy Really Support Your Muscles When Working Out Or Playing Sport?
In this blog, we’ll dig deep to find out what the research says about it.
Staying active no matter how old you are has been found to be one of the most helpful health recommendations of the 20th century.
Using and moving your body in almost any way you find enjoyable helps your body stay healthy, keeps pain and stiffness at bay and may even keep your brain young and working well.
One of the reasons why movement/ sport and working out is so important is that it forces your body to adapt and react to the “stress” you’re putting on it…
Weather training for a marathon, looking to pass your personal best deadlift or just a kick about with the kids…
These kinds of activities place stress on your muscles and bones, and forces your body to have to “recover & grow stronger” before the next session.
It’s this recovery process where all the health benefits of sports & exercise tend to accrue.
Your muscles get stronger, your bones get thicker & your brain even gets a boost in positive benefits…
If you’re still new to RLT, you might enjoy some of our other posts about it…- The Impact of Red Light Therapy on Blood Sugar Levels
- Red Light Therapy and Skin
What Happens When You Workout?
Your muscles are made up of several different kinds of fibres…
It’s these fibres that get damaged or ‘tear’ during certain kinds of exercise.
Your muscles also contain many millions of mitochondria and these mitochondria are the so-called powerhouses of your cells…
They burn fat, sugar & oxygen during the process of cellular energy production and it’s this cellular energy that keeps everything running smoothly! (Hopefully!)
During exercise, your muscles contract and release many times, causing damage and producing waste products.
The mitochondria, known as the cell's powerhouse, generate ATP, which fuels these contractions.
This energy production not only enables you to perform the sport or exercise but also places demands on the cells and can sometimes cause damage, leading to muscle fatigue and the need for recovery.
There’s a number of processes that need to play out during your workout performance…
1- Glycogen Replenishment
During exercise, muscles use glycogen for energy.
Glycogen comes from carbohydrates that you consume and is stored in the liver and muscles.
Post-exercise, glycogen stores need replenishment to restore energy levels. You can assist this by consuming carbohydrate-rich foods or drinks within 30 minutes to two hours after your workout.
This helps to accelerate glycogen synthesis and recovery, ensuring your muscles are ready for the next exercise session.
2- Lactate Clearance
Intense exercise can lead to lactate build-up, causing muscle fatigue.
Lactate is produced when glucose is broken down for energy.
Clearing lactate helps reduce soreness and improve recovery.
This process involves transporting lactate from the muscles to the liver, where it is converted back into glucose.
3- Oxygen Delivery
Oxygen is crucial for metabolic processes and tissue repair.
It is transported by red blood cells and is necessary for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which muscles use for energy.
Enhanced oxygen delivery post-exercise helps with muscle recovery and overall tissue health by ensuring that cells have the oxygen they need to repair and regenerate. This continuous process is particularly important after exercise when the demand for oxygen is higher due to increased metabolic activity.
4- Inflammation Response
Exercise-induced microtears in muscle fibres trigger an inflammatory response, which is a natural and essential part of the healing process.
This response involves the activation of immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils, which work to clear out damaged cells and initiate tissue repair.
Cytokines and growth factors released during this phase help to stimulate the production of new muscle fibres and promote recovery.
This inflammation response initiates soon after exercise-induced damage and is crucial for adapting and strengthening muscles over time.
You can support this process by ensuring adequate rest, proper nutrition, and hydration to optimise the body's natural healing mechanisms.
5- Protein Synthesis
Protein synthesis is the process of building new proteins within muscle cells, a critical component for muscle growth and repair.
Following the inflammation response, this phase involves the activation of muscle satellite cells, which fuse to damaged muscle fibres to form new myofibrils, thereby increasing muscle mass and strength.
The synthesis of proteins is vital for repairing and rebuilding muscle fibres that have been damaged during exercise.
Adequate intake of protein through diet, particularly within the anabolic window post-exercise, can enhance this process and support muscle recovery and growth.
6- Waste Removal
During exercise, the body produces metabolic waste products, such as carbon dioxide and urea, which must be efficiently removed to maintain optimal muscle function and prevent fatigue. The elimination of these waste products is an ongoing process facilitated by the respiratory and urinary systems. Effective waste removal helps to reduce the build-up of toxins in the muscles, aiding in quicker recovery and sustained performance.
7- Electrolyte Balance
Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, are crucial for various bodily functions, including muscle contraction and nerve transmission.
Maintaining electrolyte balance is vital for muscle function, preventing cramps, and ensuring proper hydration.
Electrolytes are lost through sweat during exercise, making their replenishment particularly important to avoid imbalances that can lead to muscle cramps, weakness, and dehydration.
To maintain electrolyte balance, it is essential to consume electrolyte-rich foods and beverages, like bananas, oranges, spinach, yoghurt, and sports drinks, particularly after sweating and fluid loss during exercise. especially after intense physical activity.
These processes collectively ensure that muscles recover efficiently, enabling improved performance and reduced risk of injury in future activities.
What Does The Research Say About Each Of These Processes & Red Light Therapy?
Lucky for us, there is a lot of research we can examine to understand if RLT can support muscle performance & recovery…
For example, this review study found some interesting results with red light therapy (PBM) & sports performance:
Research Overview:
- The review included 46 studies with 1045 participants, ranging from untrained volunteers to elite athletes.
- The effectiveness of PBM was categorised based on parameters that either had positive effects or no effects on muscle performance and recovery.
- Clinical trials focused on different aspects of muscle performance, such as torque, hypertrophy, and measures of muscle damage and recovery.
Main Findings:
- Pre-conditioning: (light delivered to muscles before exercise) and RLT applied after exercise can enhance sports performance and aid muscle recovery.
- PBM increases muscle mass, decreases inflammation, and reduces oxidative stress.
- Various studies have shown PBM’s effectiveness in improving muscle performance metrics such as fatigue resistance, number of repetitions, and recovery indicators like creatine kinase levels and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
- PBM can be delivered using different devices like single laser probes, clusters of laser diodes, LED clusters, and mixed clusters.
- Both red and NIR light, or combinations of the two, are used in PBM treatments.
The study also goes on to describe the potential Mechanisms of Action:
- Increases cellular energy metabolism and ATP synthesis.
- Stimulates defences against oxidative stress.
- Prevents and repairs muscle damage.
- Modulates gene expression related to muscle function.
Conclusion:
- PBM shows significant potential for enhancing muscle performance and recovery in athletes.
- There are still questions about the best parameters (wavelength, timing, dosage) for PBM use.
- The potential for PBM to be adopted in sports may require regulatory discussions about its use in competitions.
This study underscores the benefits of PBM for athletes and those involved in regular physical training, highlighting its role in both improving performance and aiding recovery.
How Can You Use Red Light Therapy To Assist Your Body In Performing Better & Recovering Faster…?
Here’s a brief overview of what a session of RLT entails…
- Choose a device that matches the size of the area you most want to treat.
- Spend 5 to 15 minutes exposing that area to the red and near infrared light that comes from the device
- This light helps care for the cells of your skin, muscles & bones & supports them in the energy production cycle of the cell which means the tissues that are exposed get a boost in performance & recovery (AKA things work better & heal faster)
- Consider using RLT before exercise and/or after exercise.
As you can see, Red Light Therapy can play an important role in supporting an active & healthy lifestyle by making your workouts or sports games easier, more enjoyable and less taxing on your system.
If you’re ready to take your sports performance & recovery game to the next level, try red light therapy today!