Being competitors, athletes, and trainers, we are all looking for that new and innovative device to obtain more from each training session, recover faster, and perform better. Red light therapy (RLT) is one of the newer, more sophisticated technologies to have enticed the fitness community. We all have seen the benefits of muscle repair and pain relief, but there are many more surprising red light therapy applications that can take your sport and overall health to the next level.
In this article, we will be discussing the five surprising benefits of red light therapy that every athlete should be informed about. With improved muscle repair to mental focus, this therapy isn't merely a healing technique but a lifestyle to upgrade your sporting life.
Let us begin.
Red Light Therapy: A Clinically-Tested, Non-Invasive Approach
Before we dive in and discuss the benefits, let's briefly discuss what red light therapy is and exactly how it works.
Red light therapy involves specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light (600-850nm) that penetrate the skin and travel to muscle and joint tissue and deep within the body. The cells and mitochondria, or the energy-producing centers of the cells, are energized by the light. The treatment brings more immediate tissue repair, less inflammation, and increased blood supply—all facets of faster healing and improved function.
Having presented this preliminary introduction to red light therapy, we will now talk about its five surprising sporting benefits.
1. Accelerates Muscle Recovery and Relieves Soreness
Among the benefits of red light therapy that are better known is that it will accelerate muscle repair. If you are really working your muscles during a strenuous workout at the gym, your muscles will ache with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and be sore and stiff for several days after an intense workout.
Red light also affects the mitochondria within your cells, where it increases the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or the cell's energy currency. The more of this currency that you have, the faster your muscles will be able to recover, and your body will recover faster after a strenuous workout.
What It Does:
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Boosts the production of ATP: Red light therapy activates the mitochondria, and that increases your cells' energy levels to help muscles repair and recover faster.
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Reduces muscle soreness: The study by the American Journal of Phys Med Rehabilitation found that red light treatment decreased muscle soreness by 60% compared to a placebo.
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Enhances circulation: Red light improves circulation, supplying more oxygen and nutrients to muscles and thus heals them more rapidly.
You will experience faster recoveries and less soreness by adding red light treatment to your after-workout routine, and be able to train more frequently and with more intensity.
2. Maintains Joint Health and Reduces Inflammation
Chronic inflammation and joint pain are a sure dampener to any athlete, preventing them from giving their best. Pain in the shoulder, knee, or wrist actually restricts mobility and effectiveness.
Red light treatment reduces joint inflammation and discomfort by increasing collagen production and improving circulation. This reduction in inflammation will reduce joint stiffness so that athlete patients will have more movement and faster recoveries.
What It Does:
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Red light triggers collagen production, and collagen is a significant factor in joint health, ligament repair, and healing of tendons.
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Reduced inflammation: Research in the European Journal of Applied Physiology shows that red light therapy reduces inflammation in muscles and joints, leading to a reduction in pain and soreness.
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Pain relief: RLT was effective in the treatment of acute and chronic pain syndromes, like arthritis and sports injuries.
Adding red light therapy to the rehabilitation regimen of athletes suffering from joint inflammation or joint injuries can be highly beneficial in improving joint health, alleviating pain and inflammation, and healing.
3. Increases Mental Clarity and Concentration
Although the general public associates red light with physical rehabilitation, few are known to be informed that red light actually has the power to improve mental focus and mental clarity. This under-marketed benefit can be a complete game-changer for game players who need concentration both in practice and play.
Red light therapy has also been known to enhance cognition and reduce mental fatigue by stimulating brain ATP reserves and promoting neuroprotection. Whether heading to a game or simply to be at your best in a practice situation, red light therapy will keep your head clear and your brain sharp.
What It Does:
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More brain ATP: Just like with muscles, the brain also requires ATP in order for it to be operating at its peak. Red light accomplishes this by giving brain cells enough energy to operate at peak levels.
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Neuroprotection: Red light therapy was also found to reverse brain cell oxidation damage and enhance mental function and concentration.
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Reduces mental tiredness: Once your brain power is drained by several hours of competition or practice, red light treatment will revitalize your brain and your brain will feel more alert.
If you're an athlete who has to stay focused over extended practice sessions or competition phases, adding red light therapy to your regimen will maintain your focus crisp, your senses heightened, and your brain razor-sharp.
4. Fosters Better Sleep and General Well-being
Sound sleeping is essential to help repair muscles, clear the brain, and be in good health. Most sportspersons suffer from sleeping disorders such as insomnia, restlessness, or poor-quality sleeping that obstructs healing.
Red light therapy improves sleeping by accelerating the rate at which melatonin is produced, a hormone responsible for the sleeping process. Red light therapy also regulates the hormone level by raising both the level of the hormone that relates to stress and overall well-being.
How It Works:
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Stimulates increased secretion of melatonin: Red light stimulation causes secretion of melatonin, resulting in better sleeping and more restful sleeping.
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Maintains the body's sleeping-waking rhythm: Exposure to nighttime red light has been discovered to keep your body in its natural sleeping and waking rhythm.
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Reduces cortisol: Cortisol, the "stress hormone," interferes with sleep. Red light therapy reduces cortisol levels, allowing better and more effective sleeping.
Better sleeping gives your muscles sufficient time to recover and rebuild themselves so that you are at your peak levels leading up to your next workout or competition.
5. Facilitates Quicker Recovery from Injuries
A sprained ankle, a torn ligament, or a muscle strain—all take time to recover. Ice, rest, and over-the-counter pain relievers are not enough in everyday cases and leave patients recovering weeks at a time to deal with lingering discomfort. Red Light Therapy accelerates healing of injuries by increasing tissue repair and collagen repair. It reduces inflammation and pain and allows the players to resume training earlier without compromising healing.
How It Works:
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Encourages tissue regeneration: Red light boosts collagen and other connective tissue production that accelerates the healing of injuries.
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Lessens inflammation and pain: By encouraging circulation and reducing inflammation, RLT lessens the resultant pain and inflammation that occurs with injuries.
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Helps heal faster: Red light therapy is useful to injured sportspersons to enable them to recover since it initiates healing faster without subjecting them to intrusive operations.
In case your healing is a consequence of an injury, red light therapy will determine the rate at which your body heals and returns to action with better effectiveness.
Conclusion: Why Every Sportsperson Should Have Red Light Therapy in Their Regimen
Red light therapy is not just a recovery tool—it is a changer for sporting teams that seek to accelerate the recovery process, enhance general effectiveness, and improve overall well-being. Right from the inflammation reduction and acceleration of muscle recovery to mental quickness improvement and healing of injuries, red light therapy has applications that are nothing less than spectacular.
By adding the Red Light Therapy Blanket to your recovery routine, your recovery time is reduced, pain is eliminated, and your effectiveness is increased. It is a non-intrusive, science-tested remedy with long-lasting effects that any sportsperson can use to become optimized fit.
So, are you prepared to make the most of the effects of red light treatment? Learn more in the full advertorial and see how it can benefit you.
