Introduction
Are you a rower seeking new ways to enhance your performance on the water as a rower? Well, you're at the right place! For competitive rowers, the primary goal is to achieve success at the highest level. Athletes want to have successful and long-term careers, so preventing injuries is their top priority. There's something new catching their eye - that's Red light therapy.
Red light therapy has a solid foundation in scientific research and is gaining popularity among elite athletes. It has been shown to have significant advantages for crew and rowing. It increases blood flow, speeds up muscle recovery, and enhances athletic performance-all important for crew and rowing.
In this article, I'll discuss how red light therapy can help athletes stay healthy and compete at their best. Buckle up and read it!
The Demands of Competitive Rowing
The body suffers greatly when rowing, particularly the shoulders, hips, and lower back. Rowers have it difficult because of the possibility of injuries from years of rigorous training and competition.
The good news is that red light therapy, which applies specialized light to trouble spots like the shoulders, hips, and lower back, can speed up their recovery. As a result, rowers enjoy the water more and feel less sore.
Not only that, but red light therapy also addresses inflammation_ the body's warning sign that something is wrong. Rowers can continue without pain by decreasing inflammation.
To put it simply, red light therapy helps them stay strong and happy so they can take on the challenges of competitive rowing.
Red Light Therapy Perks for Competitive Rowing and Crew
Tired of aching muscles slowing you down? Wish you could recover faster and train harder? Red light therapy possesses a wide range of benefits for competitive rowers and crew. Here, I'll discuss them.
Performance Optimisation
Red light therapy has several benefits that can significantly enhance athletic performance in the field of competitive rowing and crew. RLT stimulates the mitochondria present in your cells_ factories that produce energy. As a result, it improves performance, endurance, and stamina in the following ways:
- Increased ATP production
- Enhanced cell functions
- Promoted cell growth and repair
It improves overall endurance and muscle strength. As ATP level increases, muscles get more energy, thus working harder and longer. Research has shown that it also helps to lessen muscle soreness and fatigue after strenuous rowing sessions.
Last but not least, red light therapy can enhance blood circulation, hastening the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the muscles. This suggests better muscle function and a decrease in injury rates among crew athletes, which support peak performance and rigorous training regimens.
Muscle Recovery
Red light therapy helps in muscle recovery, whether it is used before or after rowing sessions. It prevents muscle damage, accelerates muscle repair, and promotes regeneration.
- Promotes protein synthesis needed for tissue repair
- It enhances muscle growth
- Increases energy production within muscles
Its other significant benefit is the reduction of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). It can also reduce the pain and stiffness that occur as a result of hard training sessions. Apart from muscle recovery, RLT also helps to increase your range of motion and flexibility. It can help you avoid injuries and perform better with regular use.
Inflammation Reducing
Red or near-infrared light stimulates cells to make antioxidants faster and reduce inflammatory markers. This therapy can increase circulation to help relieve inflammatory conditions without the need for drugs or surgery.
- Pre-exercise red light therapy might enhance athletic performance and speed recovery from muscle strain. The therapy may have the potential to reduce the oxidative stress caused by exercise or physical activity.
- Numerous trials have examined red light therapy's ability to treat muscle soreness, exercise-related inflammation, and pain. A 2008 study demonstrated that natural light had improved the symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness. Another 2010 Brazilian study discovered that people who underwent light therapy before intense exercise experienced less pain and inflammation after their workouts. A study published in the journal AIMS Biophysics Trusted Source stated that inflammation is the underlying cause of many of the disorders that RLT treats.
Injury Healing
Research on red light therapy and wound healing has also demonstrated how exposure to red light causes cells to produce new blood vessels, new fibroblasts, and new tissue formation. All these processes contribute to faster healing and lesser pain.
Red light therapy has a proven clinical record on healing cuts, wounds, and incisions and for helping patients recover faster, with less pain and inflammation.
A 2018 review analyzed numerous controlled trials on red light therapy and wound healing. Researchers found that red light therapy significantly improved tensile strength and wound contraction for faster, more effective healing results throughout the body.
A 2014 study also concluded that red light promoted the formation of new blood vessels and stimulated the synthesis of fibroblasts that help in tissue repair. Analysis was done on sixty-eight in vitro and animal studies. LED and LASER facilitate similar biological effects, including a decrease of inflammatory cells, increased fibroblast proliferation, stimulation of angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, and increased synthesis of collagen.
Pain Reducing
Red light therapy may also be an effective treatment for reducing pain in rowers with certain conditions. In several controlled trials, red light therapy did not reduce pain and disability in people with chronic, non-specific lower back pain. Low-quality evidence supported the trials' potential for success.
A review published in the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine compiled the results of numerous studies about RLT and musculoskeletal disorders. According to the study, RLT can successfully lower pain in adults with a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. The researchers observe that practitioners who follow the precise dosage guidelines appear to boost the therapy's efficacy.
How Can Red Light Therapy Be Incorporated Into Rowing and Crew Training?
- You can use red light therapy either before or after rowing exercises. It helps you recover faster and reduce muscle fatigue.
- Aim to keep the light between 3to 12 inches away from your body.
- Depending upon the intensity of training, therapy sessions should be conducted once or twice a day.
- Finish the session in a comfortable and quiet place to promote overall healing and relaxation.
- Point the red light at your shoulders, hips, and lower back-the areas that are most used when rowing. Make things easy and concentrate on one thing at a time.
- Make regular use of red light therapy. It's like a routine; the more you stick with it, the better the results.
Conclusion
Get your hands on a red light therapy device based on your budget, needs, and comfort level. Bestqool red light therapy devices emitting light within the wavelength range of 660-850 nm are usually considered ideal. Used strategically, it enhances performance sustainability and quality of life post-competition for rowers pursuing excellence at large.
References
- Foley, J., Vasily, D. B., Bradley, J., Rudio, C., & Calderhead, R. G. (2016). 830 nm light-emitting diode (led) phototherapy significantly reduced return-to-play in injured university athletes: A pilot study. Laser Therapy, 25(1), 35-42.
https://doi.org/10.5978/islsm.16-OR-03
- Heiskanen, V., & Hamblin, M. R. (2018). Photobiomodulation: Lasers vs Light Emitting Diodes? Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences: Official Journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology, 17(8), 1003.
https://doi.org/10.1039/c8pp00176f
- Dos Reis, F. A., da Silva, B. A., Laraia, E. M., de Melo, R. M., Silva, P. H., Leal-Junior, E. C., & de Carvalho, P.deT. (2014). Effects of pre- or post-exercise low-level laser therapy (830 nm) on skeletal muscle fatigue and biochemical markers of recovery in humans: double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Photomedicine and laser surgery, 32(2), 106–112.
https://doi.org/10.1089/pho.2013.3617
- Tomazoni, S. S., Almeida, M. O., Bjordal, J. M., Stausholm, M. B., Machado, C. D. S. M., Leal-Junior, E. C. P., & Costa, L. O. P. (2020). Photobiomodulation therapy does not decrease pain and disability in people with non-specific low back pain: A systematic review. Journal of Physiotherapy, 66(3), 155-165.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2020.06.010
- Hamblin M. R. (2017). Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS biophysics, 4(3), 337–361.
https://doi.org/10.3934/biophy.2017.3.337
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