More athletes are adding red light therapy to their recovery toolkit. Here's the science behind it and how to use it effectively.
Pro sports teams have been quietly using red light therapy for years. The NFL, NBA, and Olympic teams all have red light devices in their facilities. It's not a fad for them. It's a recovery tool that produces measurable results. And you don't need to be a professional athlete to benefit from the same technology.
What the Research Shows
A 2012 meta-analysis in the journal Lasers in Medical Science reviewed 46 studies on red light therapy and exercise. The findings were pretty striking: red light therapy before exercise reduced muscle damage and fatigue. Red light therapy after exercise accelerated recovery and reduced delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Other studies have shown that red light therapy increases the number of muscle stem cells (satellite cells) activated after exercise, which directly supports muscle repair and growth.
How It Works for Muscles
- Boosts ATP production in muscle cells, giving them more energy for repair.
- Reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Increases nitric oxide production, improving blood flow to muscles.
- Supports satellite cell activation for muscle tissue repair.
- Reduces the severity and duration of DOMS.
Before or After Exercise?
Both work, but they do different things. Pre-exercise red light sessions can "pre-condition" your muscles, making them more resistant to damage. Post-exercise sessions help with the repair process. If you can only do one, post-workout is generally more valuable for recovery. Read our article on PEMF for post-workout recovery too, since combining the two is even better.
“A local marathon runner started doing red light sessions after her long runs. She said her legs felt like they recovered a full day faster compared to ice baths alone. That's an extra day of quality training.”
We offer full recovery sessions at DWT Wellness that combine red light, PEMF, and NormaTec compression. It's the full package. Call us at (973) 908-1524 or book online.
Want to try this yourself?
We're at 14 Ridgedale Ave, Suite 262 in Cedar Knolls, NJ. Give us a call or book online.
Article by Onyxx Media Group