Can Red-Light Therapy Help Fitness Performance and Recovery?

The quicker and better you recover from a workout, the quicker and better you can jump into your next one. The quiver of recovery tools these days includes foam rolling, cold plunges, percussive implements, wearable compression devices, and more. Add to this red-light therapy, which can help reduce inflammation, promote muscle recovery, and heal injuries.

1) What exactly is red light?

This therapy is a type of photobiomodulation, or the use of light at specific wavelengths for health benefits. The treatment can be applied in a variety of ways, from sitting in a small, red light–infused room to using devices like a red-light panel, blanket, or face mask.

2) Is red light the same as infrared light?

Nope. Infrared light is on the invisible-light spectrum — you can’t see it, but you can feel its warmth. Red light, on the other hand, is on the visible-light spectrum; it appears red and has the longest wavelength of visible light, at around 700 nanometers.

Red-light panels contain a combination of red LEDs and infrared light, says Harrison Klein, a performance coach and owner of Sauna Strong, a wellness center in Minneapolis that offers sauna, cold plunge, and red- and infrared-light exposure as passive-recovery tools. Red light typically operates at wavelengths between 600 and 700 nanometers (nm), while infrared light — particularly near-infrared — ranges from 800 to 1,000 nm. That combination of lights is why you tend to feel warm and cozy while under red lights. He notes, however, that some infrared saunas or blankets use only infrared light and do not include red light.

3) How does red-light therapy work?

Red light penetrates your body’s tissues to affect your cellular function. At the correct wavelengths, the light is absorbed deeply enough to excite mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, which in turn promotes tissue regeneration and healing, explains Juan Gonzalez, PhD, CSCS, an associate professor at the Department of Health and Human Performance and the College of Health Professions at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Red light can be applied at a surface level — think antiaging skin treatments purported to promote collagen production. It can also be used at deeper muscular and fascial levels to reduce inflammation, support wound healing, aid muscle recovery, and generally diminish aches and pains.

Exercise breaks down your body — a good thing, considering it’s the rebuilding process that causes it to grow stronger. “Red light helps your body recover by sending more blood flow to tired muscles, rebuilding tissues that have been torn down, and decreasing inflammation,” Gonzalez explains.

“For Olympic athletes, the difference between gold and silver is how they recover. For everyday exercisers, this therapy may help someone come back the next day and hit it hard.”

This can be especially helpful for older athletes whose recovery process takes longer. “I personally got into red-light therapy because I wanted to enhance recovery,” Gonzalez says. “I’m 62, and I was looking for ways to recover faster from running. What once took me three days of recovery after a single run now takes me just one after using red-light therapy regularly.”

4) How does red-light therapy affect exercise performance specifically?

A 2019 review suggests that light therapy can be used to enhance performance and accelerate recovery, though the authors point out that higher-quality evidence is needed.

More recent research, analyzing 24 randomized controlled trials and published in Sports Health, found that red light (with or without infrared light) used before exercise improves muscle strength and decreases soreness and inflammatory markers.

Another meta-analysis on older adult exercisers found that photobiomodulation therapy improves knee function and offers pain relief. “When this light hits blood vessels, it causes the release of nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator,” explains Gonzalez. “Making the blood vessels larger sends more blood flow to exercising muscles, giving them more fuel.”

Additionally, red light may target the production of adenosine triphosphate inside cells, making more energy available to you. In that regard, “you can use red light both before an athletic event or after for recovery,” he says.

Danny King, master trainer and manager of performance and recovery at Life Time, adds the caveat that this isn’t a one-and-done recovery protocol. “In most of the studies you see, people are using a red light three, four, five times a week for 10 to 30 minutes. Frequency does seem to matter here: Red-light exposure is something that we want to do relatively consistently to see a benefit. Do it once and you’re going to be like, ‘That didn’t change my life.’ But that’s not how this works. We’re looking at small benefits over time.” (Listen as King explains how red-light therapy works and discusses the advantages of this type of treatment that is fast-growing in popularity.)

5) Why is red-light therapy suddenly so popular?

Accessibility is probably the biggest factor in the burst of popularity, explains Klein. Historically, red-light therapy was used in medical settings, often in the form of small, expensive lasers that would be used for, say, healing a surgical scar. But over the years, technology has improved and costs have come down, making red light a more consumer-friendly option.

At the same time, more people are suffering from inflammation, pain, and stiffness, so “there’s an appetite for feeling and performing better,” he says. “Modalities like red light, hot and cold exposure, and breathwork are all ways to support that.”

6) Are there limitations or drawbacks to red-light therapy?

Red light therapy appears to be safe for short-term use if used correctly, with mild side effects, including potential skin and eye irritation. (Ensure that your device is in good working order and follow safety instructions, including wearing eye protection.) Additionally, studies show that it can be effective when used consistently.

The biggest drawback, says Denver-based emergency physician and endurance-sports coach Jeff Sankoff, MD, is that people expect it to be a sort of magic pill that will solve all their problems without taking other — potentially more impactful — steps toward recovery.

“The reality is that we’d be so much better off modifying how we train and investing in ourselves in other ways outside of red-light therapy,” Sankoff says.

He encourages athletes to prioritize “big-ticket efforts,” like investing in a coach or personal training; buying a new pair of shoes that fit well; honing your nutrition; and getting adequate rest. Sleep, he argues, is the No. 1 contributor to proper recovery and desired performance. “You can get big gains from the basics.”

Gonzalez agrees. “Red-light therapy is not a cure. It doesn’t replace medical expertise of a physical or occupational therapist, and it doesn’t replace smart training practices,” he says. But it may become your new favorite way to unwind postworkout.

7) How do I use red-light therapy?

Start by ensuring that the light you’re going to use is at least 800 nanometers and up to 1,100 nanometers, says King; a combo red-infrared device is best for muscle and joint recovery and pain relief. (Wavelengths on the lower end of the red-light spectrum, in the 600- to 700-nanometer range, are better suited for skin treatments, he notes.)

Then, aim for 12 minutes of exposure most days of the week. “That seems to be the sweet spot,” Gonzalez says.

Build up by starting off with one day per week and then slowly increasing to two, three, and then four to six times per week, depending on your preferences, Gonzalez recommends.

You may notice results in about three sessions. For performance perks, use light five to 10 minutes before strength training; endurance exercise should get red-light treatment before and after a session.

To maximize your time, adds Klein, try stacking modalities by sitting in an infrared red-light sauna or in front of a red-light panel while doing other recovery activities, such as stretching, foam rolling, or breathwork.