Red light therapy not only improves athletic performance, reduces muscle pain and fatigue after exercise, it also accelerates muscle growth and recovery. In addition to its overwhelming overall health benefits, red light therapy promotes muscle growth and repair by stimulating ATP production, which promotes faster recovery and improved performance. Recent clinical studies have shown that red light and near infrared radiation therapy can repair muscles, improve athletic performance, and promote the recovery process after exercise or injury. Bronzed Angel is a market leader in the provision of full body red light therapy treatments with an innovative monthly membership scheme so you can use these devices as much as you like. Bronzed Angel customers will soon be able to supplement these treatments with various at-home devices which deliver red and near infrared (NIR) wavelengths of light to the skin and cells to enhance the full body effects.

The use of red and infrared light is a well-studied treatment with many beneficial effects on athletes. NIR wavelengths stimulate healing, enhance mitochondrial function, improve blood flow and tissue oxygenation. Red light therapy reduces the number of inflammatory cells, increases the proliferation of fibroblasts (cells that synthesise collagen and other matrix macromolecules), stimulates angiogenesis (the production of new blood vessels), and activates the body as an anti-inflammatory response and antioxidant. Phototherapy treatments have different mechanisms of action on muscle cells, such as improving cellular ATP energy synthesis, glycogen synthesis, reducing oxidative stress, preventing exercise-induced muscle damage, and adding new myonuclei that support muscle hypertrophy. A meta-analysis of red light therapy for athletic performance concluded that pre-exercise is the optimal time to administer treatment to improve performance, prevent exercise-induced damage to muscle tissue, and improve post-exercise strength and functionality recovery.

A 2011 study of 36 men with beginner to moderate physical activity habits found that red light therapy given immediately after a leg press exercise could increase muscle performance compared to strength training alone. Another study in 16 men found that pre-treatment with RLT was beneficial in reducing muscle fatigue. The researchers concluded that RLT could be an effective treatment for injured muscles in athletes and non-athletes. Compared with a placebo group, 22 untrained male athletes demonstrated an increase in physical performance and a reduction in exercise-induced oxidative stress and muscle damage.

A 2014 study of healthy young adult men who participated in "harmful eccentric exercise" showed that red light therapy prior to such activity prevented significant loss of range of motion and muscle strength and reduced muscle pain. A clinical study conducted in 2014 showed that using red light therapy before any form of active physical activity improved skeletal muscle function, reduced biochemical markers associated with skeletal muscle damage, and prevented delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Hundreds of peer-reviewed clinical studies of red light therapy have shown improved physical performance, including increased strength, speed, and endurance, as well as faster muscle recovery from strenuous exercise and faster return to competition after injury.

Optimizing athletic performance and muscle recovery means maximizing the body's natural repair processes to achieve the best fitness and training or health benefits. Recovery is the foundation of health and performance, whether you're a professional athlete or a weekend warrior. The more endurance and stamina your muscles have, the longer you will be able to perform at the highest level without succumbing to fatigue or exhaustion. The higher the endurance of your muscles, the longer you will be able to train and perform.