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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Biophotonics. 2016 Nov 22;9(11-12):1273–1299. doi: 10.1002/jbio.201600176

Table 2.

Clinical trials of photobiomodulation (PBM) in acute responses in exercises with upper limb muscles

Reference PBM parameters Mode of irradiation Muscle/exercise Main findings
[10] Cluster with 31 laser diodes; 660 nm; 950 nm;
Cluster area 12 cm2; 527.77 mW (calculated)
31.7 J/cm2 (720 s)
Pulsed frequencies (Hz): 2.5; 5; 20;
1 site of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 380 J (calculated)		 Contact
After exercise		 1 site of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (free weights)		 RCT with 60 subjects (12 control; 12 placebo; 36 LLLT)
No effect of PBM in DOMS
No effect of PBM in mechanical pain threshold
No effect of PBM in MPT, VAS and McGill questionnaire
[11] Cluster with 31 laser diodes; 660 nm; 950 nm;
Cluster area 12 cm2; 534 mW
11 J/cm2 (240 s)
Pulsed frequency (Hz): 73
1 site of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 132 J (calculated)		 Contact
After exercise		 1 site of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (free weights)		 RCT with 36 subjects (12 control, 12 placebo, 12 LLLT)
No effect of PBM in DOMS
No effect of PBM in mechanical pain threshold
No effect of PBM in MPT, VAS and McGill questionnaire
[9] Cluster with 32 LEDs; 950 nm;
Cluster area 18 cm2; 160 mW; 8.8 mW/cm2 (calculated)
3.2 J/cm2 (360 s);
1 site of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 57.6 J (calculated)		 Contact
After exercise		 1 site of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (isokinetic dynamometer)		 RCT with 32 subjects (16 placebo; 16 LEDT)
No effect of PBM in DOMS
No effect of PBM in mechanical pain threshold
No effect of PBM in isokinetic peak torque
[8] Cluster with 36 LEDs;
32 LEDs 880 nm;
4 LEDs 660 nm;
Cluster area 5 cm2; 500 mW (calculated); 100 mW/cm2;
40 J per site of irradiation (80 s); 8 J/cm2;
2 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 80 J		 Contact
After exercise		 2 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (Scott bench)		 RCT with 27 subjects (9 Control; 9 Placebo; 9 LEDT)
PBM decreased DOMS after 48 h
No effect of PBM in girth
No effect of PBM in resting extension angle
[13] Laser diode 655 nm;
Diode area 0.1 cm2; 50 mW; 500 J/cm2; 5 W/cm2;
5 J per diode (100 s);
4 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 20 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 4 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (Scott bench)
Maximum voluntary contraction until exhaustion		 RCT with 12 volleyball players (6 Placebo; 6 LLLT)
PBM increased number of repetitions
PBM increased total time of contractions
No effect of PBM in blood lactate
[21] Laser diode 830 nm;
Diode area 0.0028 cm2; 100 mW; 35.7 W/cm2;
5 J (50 s), 1,785 J/cm2;
4 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 20 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 4 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (Scott bench)
Maximum voluntary contraction until exhaustion		 RCT with 10 volleyball players (crossover study)
PBM increased number of repetitions
No effect of PBM in blood lactate
No effect of PBM in total time of contractions
[22] Laser diode 660 nm;
Diode area 0.0028 cm2; 50 mW; 17.85 W/cm2;
5 J (100 s); 1,785 J/cm2;
4 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 20 J

versus

Laser diode 830 nm;
Diode area 0.0028 cm2; 50 mW; 17.85W/cm2;
5 J (100 s), 1,785 J/cm2;
4 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 20 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 4 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (Scott bench)
Maximum voluntary contraction (60 s)		 RCT with 10 subjects (crossover study)
PBM 630 nm increased mean force
PBM 630 nm increased peak force
PBM 830 nm increased mean force
PBM 830 nm increased peak force
[23] Cluster with 5 laser diodes 810 nm;
Diode area 0.0364 cm2; 200 mW; 5.495 W/cm2;
6 J per diode (30 s); 164.85 J/cm2;
30 J per site of irradiation: 5 × 6 J
Total delivered: 60 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 2 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (Scott bench)
Maximum voluntary contraction until exhaustion		 RCT with 9 volleyball players (crossover study)
PBM increased number of repetitions
PBM increased total time of contractions
PBM decreased blood lactate 5 min post-exercise
PBM decreased CK in blood post-exercise
PBM decreased C-reactive protein post-exercise
[24] Cluster with 69 LEDs;
LED area 0.2 cm2;
34 LEDs 660 nm; 10 mW; 50 mW/cm2;
35 LEDs 850 nm; 30 mW; 150 mW/cm2;
0.3 J LED 660 nm (30 s), 1.5 J/cm2;
0.9 J LED 850 nm (30 s), 4.5 J/cm2;
41.7 J per site of irradiation;
1 site of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 41.7 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 1 site of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (Scott bench)
Maximum voluntary contraction until exhaustion		 RCT with 10 volleyball players (crossover study)
PBM increased number of repetitions
PBM decreased blood lactate post-exercise
PBM decreased CK in blood post-exercise
PBM decreased C-reactive protein post-exercise
[25] LED 630 nm;
LED area 1.77 cm2; 300 mW; 169.49 mW/cm2;
9 J (30 s); 5.1 J/cm2;
4 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 36 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 4 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (Scott bench)
30 eccentric contraction		 RCT with 17 subjects (9 placebo; 8 LEDT)
PBM decreased DOMS from 48 h to 96 h post-exercise
PBM decreased isometric force loss from 24 h to 96 h
PBM improved range of motion from 24 h to 96 h
[26] Laser diode 808 nm;
Diode area 0.0028 cm2; 100 mW; 35.71 W/cm2;
1 J (10 s), 357.14 J/cm2
4 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 4 J		 Contact
Between sets of exercise		 4 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (biceps curl)
10 sets of 10 repetitions		 RCT with 22 subjects (11 placebo; 11 LLLT)
No effect of PBM in 1-repetition maximum (1-RM)
PBM decreased CK in blood after 72 h post-exercise
[27] Large cluster with 33 diodes:
5 laser diodes; 850 nm; 100 mW; 0.06 cm2; 1,666.6 mW/cm2;
3.2 J (32 s); 53.3 J/cm2 each;
12 LEDs; 670 nm; 10 mW; 1.92 cm2; 5.20 mW/cm2;
0.3 J (32 s); 0.15 J/cm2 each;
8 LEDs; 980 nm; 25 mW; 1.28 cm2; 19.53 mW/cm2;
0.8 J (32 s); 0.62 J/cm2 each
8 LEDs; 950 nm; 15 mW; 1.28 cm2; 11.71 mW/cm2;
0.5 J (32 s); 0.39 J/cm2 each
2 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 60 J

versus

Small cluster with 9 diodes:
5 laser diodes; 850 nm; 100 mW; 0.06 cm2; 1,666.6 mW/cm2;
5.6 J (56 s); 93.3 J/cm2 each;
4 LEDs; 670 nm; 10 mW; 0.64 cm2; 15.62 mW/cm2;
0.56 J (56 s); 0.87 J/cm2 each
2 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 60 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 2 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Maximum isometric voluntary contraction until exhaustion (isokinetic dynamometer)		 RCT with 10 subjects (crossover study)
PBM increased time to exhaustion
No effect of PBM on peak torque
No effect of PBM on electromyography analyses
[28] Laser diode 808 nm;
Diode area 0.0028 cm2; 100 mW; 35.7 W/cm2;
7 J (70 s), 2,500 J/cm2;
8 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 56 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 8 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion		 RCT with 20 subjects (crossover study)
No effect of PBM in number of repetitions
No effect of PBM in blood lactate post-exercise
No effect of PBM on fatigue by surface electromyography
[29] Cluster with 2 laser diodes 800 nm and 970 nm;
Diode area not provided; 3 W (50% duty cycle); average power output 1.5 W;
24 J point of irradiation (16 s -calculated);
15 sites of irradiation per limb
Total delivered: 360 J		 Contact
Muscular pre-conditioning		 15 sites of irradiation on biceps brachii
Elbow flexion (isokinetic dynamometer)		 RCT with 39 subjects (crossover study)
PBM decreased discreetly maximum voluntary isometric contraction
No effect of PBM on muscle tenderness
No effect of PBM on muscle strength