Abstract
Purpose
Eccentric training has been popularized for physical conditioning and prevention/rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders, especially due to the expressive responses in terms of muscular strength gain. In view of evidence that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is able to increase exercise performance and accelerate post-exercise recovery, the aim of this study was to verify the effect of LLLT on hypertrophy and strengthening of knee extensor muscles submitted to eccentric training.
Method
Thirty healthy male subjects were randomized into three groups: Control Group (CG), Training Group (TG) and Training + LLLT Group (TLG). CG received no intervention, while TG and TLG were engaged on an 8-week knee extensor isokinetic eccentric training program. Only subjects from TLG were treated with LLLT (wavelength = 810 nm; power output = 200 mW; total dosage = 240 J) before each training session. Knee extensor muscle thickness and peak torque were assessed through ultrasonography and isokinetic dynamometry, respectively.
Results
CG presented no changes in any variable throughout the study, while eccentric training led to significant increases in muscle thickness and peak torque in TG and TLG. Subjects from TLG reached significantly higher percent changes compared to subjects from TG for sum of muscles’ thicknesses (15.4 vs. 9.4 %), isometric peak torque (20.5 vs. 13.7 %), and eccentric peak torque (32.2 vs. 20.0 %).
Conclusion
LLLT applied before eccentric training sessions seems to improve the hypertrophic response and muscular strength gain in healthy subjects.
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Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- CG:
-
Control group
- LEDT:
-
Light-emitting diode therapy
- LLLT:
-
Low-level laser therapy
- MTRF :
-
Rectus femoris muscle thickness
- MTVL :
-
Vastus lateralis muscle thickness
- MTVM :
-
Vastus medialis muscle thickness
- PTCON :
-
Concentric peak torque
- PTECC :
-
Eccentric peak torque
- PTISO :
-
Isometric peak torque
- RF:
-
Rectus femoris
- TG:
-
Training group
- TLG:
-
Training + LLLT group
- VI:
-
Vastus intermedius
- VL:
-
Vastus lateralis
- VM:
-
Vastus medialis
- ΣMT:
-
Sum of muscles’ thicknesses
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil) and Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS, Brazil) for financial support.
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Communicated by Martin Flueck.
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Baroni, B.M., Rodrigues, R., Freire, B.B. et al. Effect of low-level laser therapy on muscle adaptation to knee extensor eccentric training. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 639–647 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3055-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3055-y