Low-level phototherapy to improve exercise capacity and muscle performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- PMID: 27272746
- DOI: 10.1007/s10103-016-1977-9
Low-level phototherapy to improve exercise capacity and muscle performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-exercise low-level phototherapy (Light-Emitting Diode therapy [LEDtherapy] or Light Amplification by Stimulate Emission of Radiation therapy [LASERtherapy]) in increasing exercise capacity and muscle performance of people undergoing exercise when compared to placebo treatment. Randomized controlled trials and crossover studies were sought on CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SciELO, PEDro and LILACS from its inception up to February 2015. References lists of included studies were sought for additional relevant research. Two authors independently extracted data on study design, treatment parameters, exercise capacity (number of repetitions, time to exhaustion, blood lactate concentration and lactate dehydrogenase activity) and muscle performance (torque, power and strength) using an structured table. Agreement should be reached by consensus or by a third reviewer. Sixteen studies involving 297 participants were included. Improvement of number of repetitions (mean difference [MD] [95 % confidence interval] = 3.51 repetitions [0.65-6.37]; P = 0.02), delay in time to exhaustion (MD = 4.01 s [2.10-5.91]; P < 0.0001), reduction in lactate levels (MD = 0.34 mmol/L [0.19-0.48]; P < 0.00001) and increased peak torque (MD = 21.51 Nm [10.01-33.01]; P < 0.00001) were observed when LASERtherapy was applied. LEDtherapy meta-analyses were performed with two studies and retrieved no between-group statistically significant difference in power, lactate levels or time to exhaustion. Although our results suggest that LASERtherapy is effective in improving skeletal muscle exercise capacity, the quality of the current evidence is limited.
Keywords: Exercise; Low-level laser therapy; Muscle fatigue; Phototherapy.
Similar articles
-
Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy at 904 nm mitigates effects of exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue in young women.Lasers Med Sci. 2018 Aug;33(6):1197-1205. doi: 10.1007/s10103-018-2454-4. Epub 2018 Feb 17. Lasers Med Sci. 2018. PMID: 29455305 Clinical Trial.
-
Photobiomodulation therapy for the improvement of muscular performance and reduction of muscular fatigue associated with exercise in healthy people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers Med Sci. 2018 Jan;33(1):181-214. doi: 10.1007/s10103-017-2368-6. Epub 2017 Oct 31. Lasers Med Sci. 2018. PMID: 29090398 Review.
-
Low level laser therapy associated with a strength training program on muscle performance in elderly women: a randomized double blind control study.Lasers Med Sci. 2016 Aug;31(6):1219-29. doi: 10.1007/s10103-016-1967-y. Epub 2016 Jun 1. Lasers Med Sci. 2016. PMID: 27250715 Clinical Trial.
-
Effect of low-level phototherapy on delayed onset muscle soreness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers Med Sci. 2016 Jan;31(1):165-77. doi: 10.1007/s10103-015-1832-4. Epub 2015 Nov 12. Lasers Med Sci. 2016. PMID: 26563953 Review.
-
Effect of phototherapy (low-level laser therapy and light-emitting diode therapy) on exercise performance and markers of exercise recovery: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Lasers Med Sci. 2015 Feb;30(2):925-39. doi: 10.1007/s10103-013-1465-4. Epub 2013 Nov 19. Lasers Med Sci. 2015. PMID: 24249354 Review.
Cited by
-
In vivo attenuation profile of 660 nm and 830 nm wavelengths on human elbow skin and calcaneus tendon of different phototypes.Lasers Med Sci. 2024 Jan 9;39(1):24. doi: 10.1007/s10103-023-03955-3. Lasers Med Sci. 2024. PMID: 38194210
-
Rehabilitation of Peripheral Neuropathies: From Lexical Analysis of the Literature to Identification of Clinical Protocols.J Clin Med. 2023 Sep 10;12(18):5879. doi: 10.3390/jcm12185879. J Clin Med. 2023. PMID: 37762819 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Whole-Body Photobiomodulation Therapy for Fibromyalgia: A Feasibility Trial.Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 Aug 29;13(9):717. doi: 10.3390/bs13090717. Behav Sci (Basel). 2023. PMID: 37753995 Free PMC article.
-
A Holistic Perspective on How Photobiomodulation May Influence Fatigue, Pain, and Depression in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Beyond Molecular Mechanisms.Biomedicines. 2023 May 22;11(5):1497. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11051497. Biomedicines. 2023. PMID: 37239169 Free PMC article.
-
Deconstructing the Ergogenic Effects of Photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of its Efficacy in Improving Mode-Specific Exercise Performance in Humans.Sports Med. 2022 Nov;52(11):2733-2757. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01714-y. Epub 2022 Jul 8. Sports Med. 2022. PMID: 35802348
References
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical