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Effect of 830 nm low-level laser therapy in exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue in humans

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of 830 nm low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on skeletal muscle fatigue. Ten healthy male professional volleyball players entered a crossover randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Active LLLT (830 nm wavelength, 100 mW output, spot size 0.0028 cm2, 200 s total irradiation time) or an identical placebo LLLT was delivered to four points on the biceps humeri muscle immediately before exercises. All subjects performed voluntary biceps humeri contractions with a load of 75% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force until exhaustion. After active LLLT the mean number of repetitions was significantly higher than after placebo irradiation [mean difference 4.5, standard deviation (SD) ± 6.0, P = 0.042], the blood lactate levels increased after exercises, but there was no significant difference between the treatments. We concluded that 830 nm LLLT can delay the onset of skeletal muscle fatigue in high-intensity exercises, in spite of increased blood lactate levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Human Movement (LMH), University of Caxias do Sul (UCS), Rua Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, Caxias do Sul, 95070-560, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal Junior, Bruno Manfredini Baroni, Douglas Grosselli & Thiago De Marchi

  2. Sports Medicine Institute (IME), University of Caxias do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil

    Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal Junior

  3. Section for Physiotherapy Science, Institute of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal Junior & Jan Magnus Bjordal

  4. Laboratory of Pharmacology and Phototherapy of Inflammation, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão Lopes-Martins

  5. Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of Caxias do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil

    Adriane Aver Vanin, Bruno Manfredini Baroni & Thiago De Marchi

  6. Faculty of Physical Education, University of Caxias do Sul (UCS), Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil

    Douglas Grosselli

  7. Section for Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Vegard V. Iversen

  8. Bergen University College, Institute for Physical Therapy, Bergen, Norway

    Jan Magnus Bjordal

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  1. Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal Junior
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  2. Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão Lopes-Martins
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  3. Adriane Aver Vanin
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Correspondence to Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal Junior.

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Leal Junior, E.C.P., Lopes-Martins, R.Á.B., Vanin, A.A. et al. Effect of 830 nm low-level laser therapy in exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue in humans. Lasers Med Sci 24, 425–431 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-008-0592-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-008-0592-9

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