Hit the ground running with Red Light Therapy

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Date Posted: September 8, 2021
By Diana Schoutsen

As an avid runner and someone who works in physical rehabilitation and sports medicine, I have personally witnessed and experienced my own setbacks when it comes to running ailments. However, that never stopped me from setting my mind free in my running routine, especially with the support of Red Light Therapy.

While running is a great activity for all ages and fitness levels, according to a Yale University study, at least 50% of regular runners get injured per year. With Red Light Therapy becoming more and more available, we are here to show you how you can optimize your running regimen and combat running related injuries with Red Light Therapy. Running injuries such as runners’ knee, hamstring pulls and ankle sprains can set you back significantly and getting back on track can be daunting. Red Light Therapy offers the support you need to get back your strength and endurance while speeding up recover time and energy levels.

Runners can experience a list of therapeutic and energizing satisfaction for optimizing physical performance and overall wellness. The benefits you may experience with Red Light Therapy when it comes to your running routine will leave you inspired and motivated to keep putting one foot in front of the other and to continue training. Runners and joggers, never underestimate the healing powers of your body. Bridge the gap from the time you may experience an injury to the time you can hit the ground running once again with Red Light Therapy.

Your running routine just got a makeover

Red Light Therapy can provide an excellent addition to your running routine as it prepares the body as well as allows the body to recovery between runs. Although there is no clear consensus amongst researchers regarding when is best to apply Red Light Therapy to optimize running as it is difficult to study under controlled circumstances, it may be dependent on your strengthening, endurance and or rehabilitation goals.

A study titled, “When is the best moment to apply photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) when associated to a treadmill endurance-training program,” concluded that Red Light Therapy’s effects on healthy participants pre-run may “increase the time-to-exhaustion and oxygen uptake and also decrease the body fat in healthy volunteers when compared to placebo.”

Some things to consider

In addition to using Red Light Therapy for optimizing your run, it is important to note that to maximize your running performance, a good night’s rest is key. With that said, photobiomodulation can be effective at improving your sleep by simply adding it to your bedtime routine. To increase the effectiveness of RLT when it comes to your sleep, the more consistent you are with your routine, the more you will notice an improvement in sleep and running performance. It is notable that Red Light Therapy stimulates antioxidant response within the cell, thereby reducing oxidative stress and limiting damage to muscles in recovery mode post-run while increasing circulation to allow for better blood flow throughout your body to prepare you for your next run.

Hitting a wall while running can be inevitable and I know that it has happened to me a few times. That feeling of fatigue that is accompanied by negativity may set you back and that runners high seems distant. For me, the reason why I take that first step is to free my mind and find solace in my body. I hope this inspires your why and inspire you to stay encouraged even in the midst of what is commonly referred to as a “bonk” from a long distance run. When reaching a sudden and unexpected lack of energy, you may experience other symptoms such as anxiety, depression and or disorientation. By utilizing Red Light Therapy you have an opportunity to re-ground yourself and recover post-run. The body is innately intelligent to find itself back to balance and a comforting Red Light Therapy session will help to bring you to that place.

Running and Red Light Therapy Proven Results

There is some very compelling research on Red Light Therapy and running that I came across that outlines enhanced speed and an increase in endurance for runners that sprint. The study summarized the physical performance of rugby players and found that light therapy implementation led to faster running, “significantly improved the average time of sprints.” Another study titled, “Effects of Endurance Running Training Associated With Photobiomodulation on 5-Km Performance and Muscle Soreness,” concluded the use of photobiomodulation therapy directly influenced endurance in running and display an improvement in muscle recovery.

So, what is it that Red Light Therapy have in common with running? Proven results!

By adding Red Light Therapy to your running routine, you can optimize your endurance, physical strength and flexibility. Some evidence suggests that the application of Red Light Therapy during rest periods may be able improve performance in running and improve muscle fatigue resistance. Therefore, researchers concluded that light therapy treatments applied before and after running training sessions has led to an overall improvement in endurance as opposed to not using red light therapy at all.

Continue with your runners high by “running often, running long, but never outrun your joy of running” - Julie Isphording

Overall Red Light Therapy can be one of the most powerful assistive devices to increase your running endurance and can be easily implemented to improve energy and overall health, while supporting an even more restful and restorative sleep to prepare you for your next run. With our Rouge products available to you, from full body devices to smaller portable ones, leverage the combination of Red Light Therapy and running with our panels today!