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Low Level Laser Therapy in Muscle Fatigue and Muscle Recovery

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Muscle; Fatigue, Heart
Skeletal Muscle Recovery
Interventions
Device: Low Level Laser (LLL)
Registration Number
NCT01844271
Lead Sponsor
University of Nove de Julho
Brief Summary

Muscle fatigue and muscle recovery after exercise are recent areas of research involving Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and many factors remain unknown, such as optimal doses, power and application parameters, mechanisms of action, effects on long-term exercise and the long-term effects on skeletal muscle recovery.

The present research project aims to assess the effects of long-term recovery of LLLT in skeletal muscle after exercise and identify the optimal dose application of LLLT.

After defining the best dose of application, we recruited two groups which will be irradiated with different power, 100mW and 400mW in order to seek the optimal parameter of low level laser therapy in performance.

The investigators believed that the Low Level Laser Therapy can delay the physiological process of muscle fatigue, reduce injury or skeletal muscle microdamage arising from physical effort and accelerate muscle recovery after exercise.

Detailed Description

To achieve the proposed objectives it was performed a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, with voluntary participation of high-level soccer athletes.

Participants received an application of low level laser prior to execution of a strenuous exercise. It was used a laser with a cluster of 5 diodes (810 nm, 200 mW each diode) with different doses (placebo, 2J, 6J, 10J) and power of 200mW.

In a second step, with the optimal dose already defined, this was used to be applied with different powers in two experimental groups, 100mW and 400mW.

The investigators analysed parameters related to volunteers exercise performance (torque peak / maximum voluntary contraction), delayed onset muscle soreness, and biochemical markers of muscle damage (CK and LDH), inflammation (interleukin 1 and 6, alpha tumoral necrosis factor) and oxidative stress (TBARS, CAT, SOD and carbonylated proteins). The analysis was performed before exercise protocols, after 1 minute, and 1, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after the end of exercise protocol in both parts of the study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Male
Target Recruitment
28
Inclusion Criteria
  • professional soccer players aged between 18 and 35 years old;
  • not presenting historical musculoskeletal injury in regions of the hip and knee in the 2 months preceding the study;
  • not making use of pharmacological agents and/or nutritional supplements;
  • participating with minimum frequency of 80% of the training team
Exclusion Criteria
  • athletes who experience musculoskeletal injury during the study;
  • athletes who for whatever reason have their training routine changed with respect to the rest of the team during the course of study.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
6 Joules Low Level Laser TherapyLow Level Laser (LLL)Application of 6 Joules of Low Level Laser Therapy before strenuous exercise with a cluster of 5 diode (810 nm, 200 mW each diode).
Power of 100mWLow Level Laser (LLL)After assigning ideal dose of application it was delimited two experimental groups which was irradiated with the dose established by the first part of the study and power of 100mW.
2 Joules Low Level LaserLow Level Laser (LLL)Application of 2 Joules of Low Level Laser Therapy before strenuous exercise with a cluster of 5 diode (810 nm, 200 mW each diode).
Power of 400mWLow Level Laser (LLL)After assigning ideal dose of application it was delimited two experimental groups which were irradiated with the dose established by the first part of the study and power of 400mW.
Placebo Low Level LaserLow Level Laser (LLL)Application of low level laser without any dose (0 Joule) before strenuous exercise. A laser device with a cluster of 5 diodes (810 nm, 200 mW) each diode was used for this study.
10 Joules Low Level TherapyLow Level Laser (LLL)Application of 10 Joules of Low Level Laser Therapy before strenuous exercise with a cluster of 5 diode (810 nm, 200 mW each diode).
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Exercise performance (MVC and peak torque)Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was performed before the exercise protocol and repeted 1 minute, 1 hour, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after the eccentric contraction protocol. The peak torque was performed after 3 minutes of LLLT application.

The investigators used an isokinetic dynamometer to assess muscle function and the execution of the exercise protocol, because this tool is currently recognized as the most reliable, reliability and reproducibility for measuring the performance musculoskeletal.

The maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was performed before the exercise protocol and repeated 1 minute, 1 hour, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after the eccentric contraction protocol.

The peak torque was measured after evaluation of muscular pain, blood tests, stretching and warming, MVC and application of a predetermined dose of low level therapy (LLLT). It was done after 3 minutes of LLLT application through execution of a eccentric contraction of 5 series of 15 repetitions.

After the execution of the exercise protocol it was repeated the collection of blood samples, measuring DOMS and muscle function test (MVC) in 1 minute, 1 hour, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours and 96 hours from the protocol.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Blood tests (composite measures)Analysis of biochemical markers of muscle damage, inflammation and oxidative stress before exercise protocols, after 1 minute, and 1, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after the end of exercise protocol.

Biochemical markers of muscle damage (CK and LDH), inflammation (IL-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-alpha) and oxidative stress (TBARS, CAT, SOD and carbonylated proteins). The analysis were performed before exercise protocols, after 1 minute, and 1, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours after the end of exercise protocol.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Nove de Julho University

🇧🇷

São Paulo, SP, Brazil

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