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Photobiomodulation delays the onset of skeletal muscle fatigue in a dose-dependent manner

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Abstract

Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has been implicated as an effective ergogenic aid to delay the onset of muscle fatigue. The purpose of this study was to examine the dose–response ergogenic properties of PBM therapy and its ability to prolong time to task failure by enhancing muscle activity and delaying the onset of muscle fatigue using a static positioning task. Nine participants (24.3 ± 4.9 years) received three doses of near-infrared (NIR) light therapy randomly on three separate sessions (sham, 240, and 480 J). For the positioning task, participants held a 30 % one-repetition maximum (1-RM) load using the index finger until volitional fatigue. Surface electromyography (sEMG) of the first dorsal interosseous muscle was recorded for the length of the positioning task. Outcomes included time to task failure (TTF), muscle fatigue, movement accuracy, motor output variability, and muscle activity (sEMG). The 240-J dose significantly extended TTF by 26 % (p = 0.032) compared with the sham dose. TTF for the 240-J dose was strongly associated with a decrease in muscle fatigue (R 2 = 0.54, p = 0.024). Our findings show that a 240-J dose of NIR light therapy is efficacious in delaying the onset and extent of muscle fatigue during submaximal isometric positioning tasks. Our findings suggest that NIR light therapy may be used as an ergogenic aid during functional tasks or post-injury rehabilitation.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

sEMG:

Surface electromyography

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

FDI:

First dorsal interosseous

J:

Joule

LEDs:

Light-emitting diodes

MCP:

Metacarpophalangeal

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

NIR:

Near-infrared

PBM:

Photobiomodulation

RMSE:

Root-mean-square error

SD:

Standard deviation

SPI:

Second palmar interosseous

TTF:

Time to task failure

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the help of Jonathan Leake and Tanya Onushko with the computer programming. This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R01 AG 031769) to Evangelos A. Christou.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Kelly A. Larkin-Kaiser

  2. Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Paul A. Borsa, Molly A. Moore & Evangelos A. Christou

  3. School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Harsimran S. Baweja

  4. Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, Troy University, Troy, AL, USA

    Mark D. Tillman

  5. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Steven Z. George

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  1. Kelly A. Larkin-Kaiser
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  2. Paul A. Borsa
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  7. Evangelos A. Christou
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Correspondence to Paul A. Borsa.

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Larkin-Kaiser, K.A., Borsa, P.A., Baweja, H.S. et al. Photobiomodulation delays the onset of skeletal muscle fatigue in a dose-dependent manner. Lasers Med Sci 31, 1325–1332 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-016-1979-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-016-1979-7

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