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Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and/or cryotherapy in skeletal muscle restitution, what is better? A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial

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Abstract

Cryotherapy for post-exercise recovery remains widely used despite the lack of quality evidence. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) studies (with both low-level laser therapy and light-emitting diode therapy) have demonstrated positive scientific evidence to suggest its use. The study aims to evaluate PBMT and cryotherapy as a single or combined treatment on skeletal muscle recovery after eccentric contractions of knee extensors. Fifty healthy male volunteers were recruited and randomized into five groups (PBMT, cryotherapy, cryotherapy + PBMT, PMBT + cryotherapy, or placebo) for a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that evaluated exercise performance (maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and muscle damage (creatine kinase (CK)). Assessments were performed at baseline; immediately after; and at 1, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Comparator treatments was performed 3 min after exercise and repeated at 24, 48, and 72 h. PBMT was applied employing a cordless, portable GameDay™ device (combination of 905 nm super-pulsed laser and 875- and 640-nm light-emitting diodes (LEDs); manufactured by Multi Radiance Medical™, Solon - OH, USA), and cryotherapy by flexible rubber ice packs. PBMT alone was optimal for post-exercise recovery with improved MVC, decreased DOMS, and CK activity (p < 0.05) from 24 to 96 h compared to placebo, cryotherapy, and cryotherapy + PBMT. In the PBMT + cryotherapy group, the effect of PBMT was decreased (p > 0.05) but demonstrated significant improvement in MVC, decreased DOMS, and CK activity (p < 0.05). Cryotherapy as single treatment and cryotherapy + PBMT were similar to placebo (p > 0.05). We conclude that PBMT used as single treatment is the best modality for enhancement of post-exercise restitution, leading to complete recovery to baseline levels from 24 h after high-intensity eccentric contractions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Phototherapy in Sports and Exercise, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), Rua Vergueiro 235, 01504-001, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Paulo Roberto Vicente de Paiva, Adriane Aver Vanin, Gianna Móes Albuquerque-Pontes, Caroline dos Santos Monteiro Machado, Heliodora Leão Casalechi, Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho & Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior

  2. Postgraduate Program in Biophotonics Applied to Health Sciences, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Paulo Roberto Vicente de Paiva, Gianna Móes Albuquerque-Pontes, Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho & Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior

  3. Department of Pharmacology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Shaiane Silva Tomazoni

  4. Multi Radiance Medical, Solon, OH, USA

    Douglas Scott Johnson

  5. Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Adriane Aver Vanin, Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho & Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior

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  1. Paulo Roberto Vicente de Paiva
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  2. Shaiane Silva Tomazoni
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  4. Adriane Aver Vanin
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  6. Caroline dos Santos Monteiro Machado
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  7. Heliodora Leão Casalechi
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  8. Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho
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  9. Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior.

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Funding

Professor Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior would like to thank Sao Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP (grant number 2010/52404-0) and Brazilian Council for Science and Technology Development—CNPq (grant numbers 472062/2013-1 and 307717/2014-3). Paulo Roberto Vicente de Paiva would like to thank Sao Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP master degree scholarship (grant number 2014/04557-2).

Competing interests

Professor Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior receives research support from Multi Radiance Medical (Solon, OH, USA), a laser device manufacturer. Douglas Scott Johnson is an employee and shareholder of Multi Radiance Medical (Solon, OH, USA). The remaining authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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de Paiva, P.R.V., Tomazoni, S.S., Johnson, D.S. et al. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and/or cryotherapy in skeletal muscle restitution, what is better? A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Lasers Med Sci 31, 1925–1933 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-016-2071-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-016-2071-z

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