Photobiomodulation Therapy Improves Performance and Accelerates Recovery of High-Level Rugby Players in Field Test: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study.

Pinto, HD, Vanin, AA, Miranda, EF, Tomazoni, SS, Johnson, DS, Albuquerque-Pontes, GM, de Oliveira Aleixo Junior, I, Grandinetti, VdS, Casalechi, HL, de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho, P, and Pinto Leal Junior. Photobiomodulation therapy improves performance and accelerates recovery of high-level rugby players in field test: A randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. J Strength Cond Res 30(12): 3329-3338, 2016-Although 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. Twelve male high-level rugby athletes were recruited in this randomized, crossover, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. No interventions were 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. Photobiomodulation therapy irradiation was performed at 17 sites of each lower limb, employing a cluster with 12 diodes (4 laser diodes of 905 nm, 4 light emitting diodes [LEDs] of 875 nm, and 4 LEDs of 640 nm, 30 J 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. Photobiomodulation therapy significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved the average time of sprints and fatigue index in BST. Photobiomodulation therapy significantly decreased percentage of change in blood lactate levels (p ≤ 0.05) and perceived fatigue (p ≤ 0.05). Pre-exercise PBMT with the combination of super-pulsed laser (low-level laser), red LEDs, and infrared LEDs can enhance performance and accelerate recovery of high-level rugby players in field test. This opens a new avenue for wide use of PBMT in real clinical practice in sports settings.

The glial voltage-gated sodium channel: cell- and tissue-specific mRNA expression.

Previous electrophysiological and pharmacological studies on central and peripheral glia revealed the presence of voltage-gated Na channels with properties that are similar but not identical to those of neuronal Na channels. Here we report the isolation and characterization of a cDNA encoding the C-terminal portion of a putative glial Na-channel (Na-G) alpha subunit. The amino acid sequence deduced from this cDNA indicates that the Na-G represents a separate molecular class within the mammalian Na-channel multigene family. By Northern blot, RNase protection, and in situ hybridization assays, we demonstrate that, in addition to brain astroglia, the Na-G mRNA is expressed in cultures of Schwann cells derived from dorsal root ganglia or from sciatic nerve. In vivo, the Na-G mRNA is detected not only in brain, dorsal root ganglia, and sciatic nerve, but also in tissues outside the nervous system including cardiac and skeletal muscle and lung. Its level varies according to the tissue and is developmentally regulated. The sequence and expression data concur in designating Na-G as an distinct type of Na channel, presumably with low sensitivity to tetrodotoxin.