Effects of photobiomodulation applied at different times on functional performance and ergogenic response of rugby athletes: Randomized clinical trial.

Background: Photobiomodulation (PBM) is indicated to accelerate the recovery of athletes and reduce muscle damage caused by physical exercise. The objective of this study was to establish the best time to apply photobiomodulation to increase the functional performance and ergogenic response of rugby athletes.

Methods: Randomized crossover clinical trial with 18 rugby athletes of both sexes.

Cold water immersion or LED therapy after training sessions: effects on exercise-induced muscle damage and performance in rats.

Cryotherapy and phototherapy have been suggested as recovery methods due to their anti-inflammatory effects. They may also induce mitochondrial biogenesis, thus favoring endurance training adaptation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and ergogenic effects of phototherapy or cold water immersion (CWI) applied daily after exercise in rats.

Post-exercise cold water immersion does not alter high intensity interval training-induced exercise performance and Hsp72 responses, but enhances mitochondrial markers.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of regular post-exercise cold water immersion (CWI) on intramuscular markers of cellular stress response and signaling molecules related to mitochondria biogenesis and exercise performance after 4 weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT). Seventeen healthy subjects were allocated into two groups: control (CON, n = 9) or CWI (n = 8). Each HIIT session consisted of 8-12 cycling exercise stimuli (90-110 % of peak power) for 60 s followed by 75 s of active recovery three times per week, for 4 weeks (12 HIIT sessions).

LED therapy or cryotherapy between exercise intervals in Wistar rats: anti-inflammatory and ergogenic effects.

The aim of this study was to test, between two bouts of exercise, the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy and cryotherapy regarding muscle damage, inflammation, and performance. Male Wistar rats were allocated in four groups: control, passive recovery (PR), cryotherapy (Cryo), and LED therapy. The animals were submitted to 45 min of swimming exercise followed by 25 min of recovery and then a second bout of either 45 min of exercise (muscle damage analysis) or time to exhaustion (performance).

Effects of chronic caffeine intake and low-intensity exercise on skeletal muscle of Wistar rats.

Caffeine can affect muscle cell physiology and the inflammatory response during exercise. The purpose of this study was to analyse muscle damage markers and inflammatory cell infiltration into the soleus muscle of sedentary and exercised animals submitted to chronic caffeine intake. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were divided into the following four groups (n = 8 per group): sedentary control (SCO); sedentary + caffeine (SCAF); trained control (TCO); and trained + caffeine (TCAF).