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Deconstructing the Ergogenic Effects of Photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of its Efficacy in Improving Mode-Specific Exercise Performance in Humans

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Abstract

Background

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is defined as non-thermal electromagnetic irradiation through laser or light-emitting diode sources. In recent decades, PBMT has attracted attention as a potential preconditioning method. The current meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of PBMT in improving mode-specific exercise performance in healthy young adults.

Methods

A computerized literature search was conducted, ending on 15 May 2022. The databases searched were PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database. Inclusion/exclusion criteria limited articles to crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies investigating the PBMT effects as a preconditioning method. The included trials were synthesized according to exercise mode (single-joint, cycling, running, and swimming). All results were combined using the standardized mean differences (SMDs) method and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were described.

Results

A total of 37 individual studies, employing 78 exercise performance measurements in 586 participants, were included in the analyses. In single-joint exercises, PBMT improved muscle endurance performance (SMD 0.27, 95% CI 0.12–0.41; p < 0.01) but not muscle strength performance (p = 0.92). In cycling, PBMT improved time to exhaustion performance (SMD 0.35, 95% CI 0.10–0.59; p < 0.01) but had no effect on all-out sprint performance (p = 0.96). Similarly, PBMT had no effect on time to exhaustion (p = 0.10), time-trial (p = 0.61), or repeated-sprint (p = 0.37) performance in running and no effect on time-trial performance in swimming (p = 0.81).

Conclusion

PBMT improves muscle endurance performance in single-joint exercises and time to exhaustion performance in cycling but is not effective for muscle strength performance in single-joint exercises, running, or swimming performance metrics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education, Laboratory of Physiology and Sport Performance (LAFIDE), School of Sciences, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Av. Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Vargem Limpa, Bauru, SP, 17033-360, Brazil

    Yago M. Dutra, Elvis S. Malta, Amanda S. Elias & Alessandro M. Zagatto

  2. Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Footscray, VIC, Australia

    James R. Broatch

  3. Australia Institute of Sport, Bruce, ACT, Australia

    James R. Broatch

Authors
  1. Yago M. Dutra
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  2. Elvis S. Malta
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  3. Amanda S. Elias
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  4. James R. Broatch
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  5. Alessandro M. Zagatto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandro M. Zagatto.

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Funding

Yago Medeiros Dutra was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. Elvis de Souza Malta was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) Fellowship #2017/21724-8. Alessandro Zagatto received grants from CNPq Process 307719/2016-2.

Conflict of interest/competing interest

Yago Medeiros Dutra, Elvis de Souza Malta, Amanda Soler Elias, James R Broatch and Alessandro Moura Zagatto declare they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the contents of this review.

Author contributions

YMD, ESM, ASE and AMZ contributed to the study conception, design, material preparation, data collection and analysis. YMD, ESM, JRB and AMZ contributed to data interpretation and manuscript writing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Data availability

All data generated and/or analysed during this study are included in this published article (and its electronic supplementary information files).

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Dutra, Y.M., Malta, E.S., Elias, A.S. et al. Deconstructing the Ergogenic Effects of Photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of its Efficacy in Improving Mode-Specific Exercise Performance in Humans. Sports Med 52, 2733–2757 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01714-y

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