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Photobiomodulation by light emitting diode applied sequentially does not alter performance in cycling athletes

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Abstract

Analyze the effects of sequential application of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) at different wavelengths on the performance of cycling athletes. Cyclists (48 male, mean age 33.77 years) underwent a performance evaluation through an incremental test, VO2max, blood lactate analysis, perception of effort, infrared thermography, and isokinetic evaluations. Photobiomodulation (180 J) with infrared (IR 940 ± 10 nm), red (RED 620 ± 10 nm), mixed Red, and IR (RED/IR 620 + 940 nm) or Sham (disabled device) intervention occurred on three consecutive days and was applied to the quadriceps femoris bilaterally. Reevaluations were performed 24 h after the last application, with 1 week of follow-up. A significance level of 5% was adopted, and the effect size (ES) was calculated by Cohen’s d. Results: There were no significant differences in the analyzed variables under any experimental condition (p > 0.005), but a moderate effect size was observed for torque peak at 60°/s on left lower limb (LLL) (ES = 0.67), average power at 60°/s of the right lower limb (RLL) (0.73), and LLL (ES = 0.65) and a considerable effect size in torque peak at 60°/s of the RLL (ES = 0.98) in the IR/RED group compared with sham 24 h after the last application. Moreover, a large effect size was observed for total time to exhaustion (ES = 1.98) and for VO2max (ES = 6.96), and a moderate effect size was seen for anaerobic threshold (ES = 0.62) in the IR/RED group compared with sham. Photobiomodulation, when not associated with training, was not able to produce a cumulative effect on the performance of cycling athletes. However, the association of two wavelengths seems to be better for increased performance. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03225976

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Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 and Process no. 2017/13997-4 of Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Healthy Science, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Gabriela de Carvalho, Aline Gobbi, Ronaldo Bucken Gobbi, Damião Miranda Ngonga Alfredo, Thales Henrique do Carmo Furquim, Rafael Inácio Barbosa, Marcelo Papoti & Rinaldo Roberto de Jesus Guirro

  2. Angola Methodist University, Luanda, Angola

    Damião Miranda Ngonga Alfredo

  3. Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14049-900, Brazil

    Rinaldo Roberto de Jesus Guirro

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  1. Gabriela de Carvalho
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  2. Aline Gobbi
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Correspondence to Rinaldo Roberto de Jesus Guirro.

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de Carvalho, G., Gobbi, A., Gobbi, R.B. et al. Photobiomodulation by light emitting diode applied sequentially does not alter performance in cycling athletes. Lasers Med Sci 35, 1769–1779 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-020-02973-9

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