Muscle soreness, recovery & performance

GOOD FOR RECOVERY & PERFORMANCE

More energy and drive are also a question of cellular energy: near-infrared light supplies your nerve cells with energy and, according to studies, can bring more get-up-and-go and a better mood to the darker months.

Start routine

After the match, the muscle strain marker rose by 53% – with light, by only 10%.*

* Ferraresi et al. (2015), Lasers in Medical Science 30(4), 1281–1287. 12 volleyball players, measured 24 hours after official matches.

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What the right light can change

01 · Before training: support for cellular energy processes

The most important biological mechanism takes place in the “powerhouses” of your muscle cells. The enzyme cytochrome c oxidase absorbs the photons of red and near-infrared light. The mitochondrial respiratory chain speeds up, so the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) can rise significantly. ATP is the universal currency for muscle contraction and cell repair. More ATP can mean that your muscles not only recover faster, but also perform with more power and endurance in your next workout.

02 · Enhanced microcirculation & nutrient transport

Near-infrared light can release bound nitric oxide (NO) in the cells, which leads to a widening of the blood vessels (vasodilation). This improved circulation helps to clear metabolic by-products (such as lactate) more quickly, while fresh oxygen and amino acids are delivered directly to the muscles you have worked.

03 · Kick-starting muscle protein synthesis

Stimulating the mitochondria with light can boost the formation of new muscle proteins. Clinical data suggest that combining intensive training with precise photobiomodulation can significantly increase muscle strength and power. Recovery time can be shortened, allowing you to train more often.

Expert view: Prof. Michael Hamblin, a leading Harvard researcher, highlights the ground-breaking effects of photobiomodulation in sports medicine. The performance potential of cellular light activation is considered so significant that experts are already debating the topic of “laser doping”.

14.5% more repetitions until
exhaustion*

* 34.6 to 39.6 repetitions. Leal Junior et al. (2010), 9 participants, double-blind, crossover.

How it works

Training puts strain on the muscle. It gets stronger in the recovery phase afterwards. Under heavy load, tiny micro-tears form in the muscle fibres. Rebuilding takes energy – and that has just been used up after the last repetition.

Where light comes in

Energy is produced in the mitochondria. They contain an enzyme that produces it, and this enzyme absorbs red and near-infrared light. Red light works close to the surface, while near-infrared also reaches deeper muscle areas. That's why the studies almost always use both.

Plus blood flow

Light locally stimulates the release of nitric oxide, and the finest blood vessels dilate. Nutrients reach the tissue faster and metabolic by-products are cleared more effectively. So light doesn't supply strength — it supplies the energy your body uses to restore it.

What studies show

Sport is the best-researched area of application for photobiomodulation. Most studies use a crossover design: the same person completes the same workload once with light and once with a placebo, without knowing which is which. Across different sports, they show the same pattern — more repetitions before exhaustion, lower strain markers, faster recovery of strength.

34.6 to 39.6 repetitions until exhaustion, plus 14.5% (9 participants, double-blind, crossover)
34.2 to 38.6 contractions, time under load plus 11.6% (10 volleyball players, double-blind, crossover)
Creatine kinase after the match rose by only 10% instead of 53% (12 volleyball players, measured 24 h after the match)
Sprint time 6.67 to 6.55 seconds, fatigue index 4.51 to 2.66% (12 rugby players, double-blind, crossover)
Better recovery of strength than with placebo and with cold application (40 participants, double-blind, placebo-controlled)

Sources
Leal Junior, E. C. P., Lopes-Martins, R. Á. B., Baroni, B. M., De Marchi, T., Taufer, D., Manfro, D. S., Rech, M., Danna, V., Grosselli, D., Generosi, R. A., Marcos, R. L., Ramos, L., & Bjordal, J. M.
(2009). Effect of cluster multi-diode light emitting diode therapy (LEDT) on exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue and skeletal muscle recovery in humans. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 41(8), 572–577.

Leal Junior, E. C. P., Lopes-Martins, R. Á. B., Frigo, L., De Marchi, T., Rossi, R. P., de Godoi, V., Tomazoni, S. S., Silva, D. P., Basso, M., Filho, P. L., de Valls Corsetti, F., Iversen, V. V., & Bjordal, J. M. (2010). Effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in the development of exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue and changes in biochemical markers related to post-exercise recovery. (Check publication details.)

Ferraresi, C., Dos Santos, R. V., Marques, G., Zangrande, M., Leonaldo, R., Hamblin, M. R., Bagnato, V. S., & Parizotto, N. A. (2015). Light-emitting diode therapy (LEDT) before matches prevents increase in creatine kinase with a light dose response in volleyball players. Lasers in Medical Science, 30(4), 1281–1287.

Pinto, H. D., Vanin, A. A., Miranda, E. F., Tomazoni, S. S., Johnson, D. S., Albuquerque-Pontes, G. M., Aleixo, I. O., Grandinetti, V. S., Casalechi, H. L., de Carvalho, P. de T. C., & Leal Junior, E. C. P. (2016). Photobiomodulation therapy improves performance and accelerates recovery of high-level rugby players in field test: a randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical
study. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(12), 3329–3338.

De Marchi, T., Schmitt, V. M., Machado, G. P., de Sene, J. S., de Col, C. D., Tavares, C., Leal Junior, E. C. P., & Salvador, M. (2017). Does photobiomodulation therapy is better than cryotherapy in muscle recovery after a high-intensity exercise? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Lasers in Medical Science, 32(2),
429–437.

Leal-Junior, E. C. P., Vanin, A. A., Miranda, E. F., de Carvalho, P. de T. C., Dal Corso, S., & Bjordal, J. M. (2015). Effect of phototherapy (low-level laser therapy and light-emitting diode therapy) on exercise performance and markers of exercise recovery: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Lasers in Medical Science, 30(2), 925–939.

Roberts, L. A., Raastad, T., Markworth, J. F., Figueiredo, V. C., Egner, I. M., Shield, A., Cameron-Smith, D., Coombes, J. S., & Peake, J. M. (2015). Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute
anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. The Journal of Physiology, 593(18), 4285–4301.

Which heilys® is right for you?

£1,429.00

Large enough for a whole muscle group. More surface area means shorter sessions and a greater distance — for anyone who trains five times a week and doesn't want to set aside twenty minutes per muscle group.

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£199.00

The entry-level option — and the device athletes praise most. Flexible, it wraps around
your shoulder, knee or back. You simply lie on it.

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£89.00

For on the go. Small, portable, targeted. Fits in your sports bag.

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Before training

Expose the target muscles: legs before squats, chest and shoulders before pressing. In the
studies, this was the timing with the clearest effect on the number of repetitions.

Panel · 8–10 min · approx. 20 cm

Go to Gen20

In between

When your energy dips: PowerDot on your wrist if you're flagging between two sessions. Instead of a third coffee, which can make it harder to fall asleep later.

PowerDot · 5–10 min

Go to PowerDot

After training

For each muscle group you've worked. Combines well with stretching or a foam roller: the light supplies the cellular energy, the massage helps with mechanical drainage.

Panel · 10–20 min per muscle group

Go to Gen300

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14.5% more repetitions until exhaustion*

Which heilys® is right for you?

Before training

In between

After training

Customer Reviews

What doctors & therapists say about heilys®

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14.5% more repetitions until
exhaustion*