Introduction
Tired of sore muscles after workouts? Or do you just want to get stronger and faster? Red light therapy may help you!
Gaining muscle is a hard process. Let me tell you from personal experience that it becomes more difficult beyond the age of 50. I work out, and from the studies I've read, I expect RLT to be a transformative solution to accelerate muscle building and fat loss.
Red light therapy is becoming popular among weightlifters and bodybuilders because it helps gain muscle mass, improves strength, and reduces fatigue. It has been scientifically demonstrated in numerous peer-reviewed clinical studies and in the fields and gyms where professional athletes, teams, trainers, and fitness experts use it daily to enhance physical performance, build muscle, speed up muscle recovery, and lower DOMS.
Benefits of Red Light Therapy for Powerlifters and Bodybuilders
Red light therapy has many advantages for bodybuilders and powerlifters. Here, I'll go through them one by one for your better understanding.
Increased Muscle Growth
In 2016, researchers examined previous studies on elite athletes and both trained and untrained non-athletes. They concluded that applying red light to muscle tissue can considerably enhance the amount of muscle mass gained through exercise. Quite incredible, don't you think?
An additional 2016 study with identical twins revealed that the red light therapy group had greater hypertrophy or muscle mass. Along with less fatigue, they also reported an increase in the maximal load during exercise.
These results may have significant implications for bodybuilders and powerlifters seeking to increase their muscle mass.
Increased Strength
There's a reason why so many professional strength trainers are adopting red light therapy into their routines.
In 2016, a trial was conducted to determine the effects of red light therapy on strength-trained men aged 18 to 35. The researchers concluded that when phototherapy is used before exercise, strength gains are maximized. When strength improvements are required during post-injury rehabilitation, the application may be especially helpful.
A study conducted in 2011 to test the effects of RLT both young people and adults showed that strength training combined with light therapy can improve muscle performance more than strength training alone.
Improved Endurance and Performance
The ability of red light therapy to improve performance and endurance could have positive implications for powerlifters and bodybuilders.
Muscle fatigue resistance has also been demonstrated to increase when red light therapy is applied to the muscles in between sets and following the most intense exercise set.
Subsequent research revealed that RLT was useful in reducing the fatigue response and postponing the onset of muscle fatigue when applied before exercise. Additionally, it has been demonstrated to lengthen the exercise session and increase the distance covered during cardiopulmonary exercise tests.
Faster Recovery
Another benefit of red light therapy is that it helps in muscle recovery, whether it is used before or after exercise.
Those individuals who received red light therapy showed a reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Also, RLT has been demonstrated to lessen oxidative stress and stop muscle damage brought on by exercise.
Ultimately, research has suggested that red light therapy-either by itself or in conjunction with cryotherapy-is superior to cryotherapy in terms of muscle recovery. It seems to be a more successful method for recovering muscles after exercise than cold water immersion therapy. These findings can have important implications for high-level powerlifters and bodybuilders.
Increased Energy and Testosterone
There are times when you feel as though your bodies are constantly depleted of energy and are lethargic. Then, after spending some time outside on a pleasant, sweltering summer day, you suddenly feel fantastic. Our bodies use light as a source of energy, and red light therapy has been shown to increase testosterone production, which can raise general energy levels and even enhance muscle performance. This is because our glands use light to regulate adrenaline, testosterone, metabolism, and several other functions in our bodies.
Improved Sleep Quality
Sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality can have significant negative effects on not only athletic performance and motivation but on fitness gains as well. Proper sleep enables your muscles to heal and rebuild. Studies have shown red light therapy to promote melatonin production. Melatonin plays an important role in helping us fall - and stay - asleep.
In one study, red light therapy was found to dramatically enhance sleep quality and athletic performance in female basketball players.
Faster Injury Healing
Red light therapy (RLT) has shown great promise in helping heal injured muscles and other tissues. A study conducted to determine the effectiveness of photobiomodulation application on athletes showed an increase in muscle mass and better performance after red light therapy application. Injury is the biggest enemy of fitness. Hence, the quicker your injuries can safely heal, the sooner you can get back on the road to fitness!
A similar study later also examined the effects of red light therapy on tendinopathy-associated pain. The researchers observed that RLT reduces pain by increasing blood flow to the affected area. This accelerates the healing process by breaking the pain-spasm-pain cycle.
Conclusion
Using red light therapy before or after exercise has many advantages for powerlifters and bodybuilders. Due to its ability to enhance performance and faster recovery, as supported by numerous studies, it is widely utilized by individuals who want to achieve their fitness goals.
Bestqool red light helps your muscles build more protein, making them bigger and stronger. Not only this, but it also reduces inflammation and promotes tissue repair by increasing blood flow to your muscles, thereby helping you to lift heavier weights more easily. Overall, it strengthens your muscles, taking your performance to the next level.
References
[1] Ferraresi, C., Bertucci, D., Schiavinato, J., Reiff, R., Araújo, A., Panepucci, R., Matheucci, E., Jr, Cunha, A. F., Arakelian, V. M., Hamblin, M. R., Parizotto, N., & Bagnato, V. (2016). 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. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation, 95(10), 746–757.
https://doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0000000000000490
[2] Antonialli, F. C., De Marchi, T., Tomazoni, S. S., Vanin, A. A., dos Santos Grandinetti, V., de Paiva, P. R., Pinto, H. D., Miranda, E. F., de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho, P., & Leal-Junior, E. C. (2014). Phototherapy in skeletal muscle performance and recovery after exercise: effect of combination of super-pulsed laser and light-emitting diodes. Lasers in medical science, 29(6), 1967–1976.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-014-1611-7
[3] Barbosa, R., Marcolino, A., Souza, V., Bertolino, G., Fonseca, M., & Guirro, R. (2017). Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Strength Training Protocol on Hand Grip by Dynamometry. Journal of lasers in medical sciences, 8(3), 112–117.
https://doi.org/10.15171/jlms.2017.20
[4] Leal Junior, E. C., de Godoi, V., Mancalossi, J. L., Rossi, R. P., De Marchi, T., Parente, M., Grosselli, D., Generosi, R. A., Basso, M., Frigo, L., Tomazoni, S. S., Bjordal, J. M., & Lopes-Martins, R. A. (2011). Comparison between cold water immersion therapy (CWIT) and light emitting diode therapy (LEDT) in short-term skeletal muscle recovery after high-intensity exercise in athletes--preliminary results. Lasers in medical science, 26(4), 493–501.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-010-0866-x
[5] Zhao, J., Tian, Y., Nie, J., Xu, J., & Liu, D. (2012). Red light and the sleep quality and endurance performance of Chinese female basketball players. Journal of athletic training, 47(6), 673–678.
https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-47.6.08
[6] de Brito Vieira, W. H., Bezerra, R. M., Queiroz, R. A., Maciel, N. F., Parizotto, N. A., & Ferraresi, C. (2014). Use of low-level laser therapy (808 nm) to muscle fatigue resistance: a randomized double-blind crossover trial. Photomedicine and laser surgery, 32(12), 678–685.
https://doi.org/10.1089/pho.2014.3812
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