Photobiomodulation Therapy in a Field Test With High-level Rugby Players

NCT02588768 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: CEP-665.347
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 12
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background/Aim: While growing evidence supports the use of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for performance and recovery enhancement, there have only been laboratory-controlled studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of PBMT in performance and recovery of high-level rugby players during an anaerobic field test. Methods: It is a randomized, crossover, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Twelve male high-level rugby athletes were recruited in this study. No intervention was performed before the Bangsbo Sprint Test (BST) at familiarization phase (week 1). At weeks 2 and 3, pre-exercise PBMT or placebo were randomly applied to each athlete. PBMT/placebo irradiation was performed at 17 sites of each lower limb, employing a cluster with 12 diodes (4 laser diodes of 905nm, 4 LED diodes of 875nm, and 4 LED diodes of 640nm, 30J per site - manufactured by Multi Radiance Medical™). Average time of sprints, best time of sprints, and fatigue index were obtained from BST. Blood lactate levels were assessed at baseline, and at 3, 10, 30 and 60 minutes after BST. Athletes' perceived fatigue was also assessed through a questionnaire.

Conditions

High-level Rugby Athletes; Performance; Recovery

Keywords

Low-level laser therapy; Light emitting diodes; Rugby; Field test; Photobiomodulation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Bangsbo Sprint Test (BST) - Average Time (sec)

  The Average Time of sprints performed during entire test (ST mean). This is the one of the variables from BST to evaluate performance.

  The test was performed for three weeks, once a week, on the same day and time of the week.

• Bangsbo Sprint Test (BST) - Best Time (sec)

  The fastest (best) time (ST best) among the seven sprints performed at each test. One of the variables from BST to evaluate performance.

  The test was performed for three weeks, once a week, on the same day and time of the week.

• Bangsbo Sprint Test (BST) - Fatigue Index (%)

  Fatigue index was calculated by the following equation: FI(%)= (STmean / STbest x 100) ˗ 100 to measure the percentage of decrease in performance between all sprints. One of the variables from BST to evaluate performance.

  The test was performed for three weeks, once a week, on the same day and time of the week.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Questionnaire of fatigue

  This questionnaire was answered for the participants in the last day of the tests, so, at the end of the third week of the tests.

• Blood Lactate analysis

  Blood sample was collected in the three phases of the study (three weeks, once a week) at 3, 10, 30 and 60 minutes after BST.

Study Arms (2)

Active PBMT

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Active PBMT was applied employing MR4 Laser Therapy Systems outfitted with LaserShower 50 4D emitters (both manufactured by Multi Radiance Medical, Solon - OH, USA). The cluster style emitter contains 12 diodes comprising of four super-pulsed laser diodes (905 nm, 0.3125 mW average power, and 12.5 W peak power for each diode), four red LED diodes (640 nm, 15 mW average power for each diode), and four infrared LEDs diodes (875 nm, 17.5 mW average power for each diode).

Device: Photobiomodulation therapy (Phototherapy)

Placebo PBMT

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Placebo PBMT was applied using the same device that emitted the same sounds and light, but with no effective irradiation.

Device: Photobiomodulation therapy (Phototherapy)

Interventions

Photobiomodulation therapy (Phototherapy) DEVICE

PBMT was applied employing MR4 Laser Therapy Systems manufactured by Multi Radiance Medical, Solon - OH, USA. The cluster emitter contains 12 diodes with four super-pulsed laser diodes (905 nm, 0.3125 mW average power, and 12.5 W peak power for each diode), four red LED diodes (640 nm, 15 mW average power for each diode), and four infrared LEDs diodes (875 nm, 17.5 mW average power for each diode). It was applied in direct contact with the skin to 9 sites on extensor muscles of the knee, 6 sites on knee flexors of the knee, and 2 sites on the calf of both lower limbs. To ensure blinding, the device emitted the same sounds and regardless of the programmed mode (active or placebo).

Also known as: Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT)

Active PBMT; Placebo PBMT

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• high-level athletes from São José Rugby Club (Brazil)

You may not qualify if:

• Athlete would be excluded if the participant presented any skeletal muscle injury
• if athlete took any nutritional supplement or pharmacological agent
• if the athlete presented signs and symptoms of any disease (i.e., neurological, inflammatory, pulmonary, metabolic, oncologic), and
• if the athlete had history of cardiac arrest that could limit performance of high-intensity exercises

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Nove de Julho: lead
• Multi Radiance Medical: collaborator
• São José Rugby Club: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Universidade Nove de Julho

São Paulo, São Paulo, 01504001, Brazil

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Antonialli FC, De Marchi T, Tomazoni SS, Vanin AA, dos Santos Grandinetti V, de Paiva PR, Pinto HD, Miranda EF, de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho P, Leal-Junior EC. Phototherapy in skeletal muscle performance and recovery after exercise: effect of combination of super-pulsed laser and light-emitting diodes. Lasers Med Sci. 2014 Nov;29(6):1967-76. doi: 10.1007/s10103-014-1611-7. Epub 2014 Jun 19.

  PMID: 24942380 RESULT

• Albuquerque-Pontes GM, Vieira RP, Tomazoni SS, Caires CO, Nemeth V, Vanin AA, Santos LA, Pinto HD, Marcos RL, Bjordal JM, de Carvalho Pde T, Leal-Junior EC. Effect of pre-irradiation with different doses, wavelengths, and application intervals of low-level laser therapy on cytochrome c oxidase activity in intact skeletal muscle of rats. Lasers Med Sci. 2015 Jan;30(1):59-66. doi: 10.1007/s10103-014-1616-2. Epub 2014 Jun 24.

  PMID: 24957189 RESULT

• Wragg CB, Maxwell NS, Doust JH. Evaluation of the reliability and validity of a soccer-specific field test of repeated sprint ability. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2000 Sep;83(1):77-83. doi: 10.1007/s004210000246.

  PMID: 11072777 RESULT

• Johnston RD, Gabbett TJ, Jenkins DG. Applied sport science of rugby league. Sports Med. 2014 Aug;44(8):1087-100. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0190-x.

  PMID: 24748460 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Low-Level Light Therapy; Phototherapy

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Laser Therapy; Therapeutics

Study Officials

• Ernesto Cesar P Leal-Junior, PhD, PT

  University of Nove de Julho

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD candidate

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 24, 2015
• First Posted: October 28, 2015
• Study Start: February 1, 2015
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2015
• Study Completion: January 1, 2016
• Last Updated: February 4, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

BR (1)