Quadriceps femoris performance after resistance training with and without photobiomodulation in elderly women: a randomized clinical trial

• Published in: Lasers in medical science 2019-10, Vol.34 (8), p.1583-1594
• Main Authors: Tucci, Helga Tatiana, Figueiredo, Danielle S., de Paula Carvalho, Raquel, Souza, Ana C. F., Vassão, Patricia G., Renno, Ana C. M., Ciol, Marcia A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Clinical trials; Cytokines; Dentistry; Electromyography; Fatigue; Geriatrics; Inflammation; Interleukin 6; Interleukin 8; Knee; Lasers; Light therapy; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Muscles; Muscular fatigue; Older people; Optical Devices; Optics; Original Article; Performance indices; Photonics; Physical training; Quadriceps muscle; Quantum Optics; Resistance training; Short term; Strength training; Training; Tumor necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 0268-8921; 1435-604X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10103-019-02748-x

The study assessed if quadriceps femoris muscle performance of older women can be improved by applying photobiomodulation therapy after a resistance training program. This study is a randomized, controlled trial with concealed allocation, intention-to-treat analysis, and blinded outcome evaluators. Forty-five healthy sedentary older women classified as active or insufficiently active were randomized to groups receiving 8 weeks of quadriceps femoris resistance training plus active group or placebo group, or a control group (no training or photobiomodulation). Surface electromyographic fatigue indexes of vastus medialis, rectus femoris, and vastus lateralis; one-maximum repetition (1-MR); and analysis of inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α cytokines, plus CK and LDH enzymes) were measured at baseline and twice in a 24 h-period after 8 weeks. No differences among the three groups were found in fatigue indexes for all three muscles, although in general, the active group presented improved fatigue indexes from baseline to 8-week outcome, while the other groups did not. Both training groups improved in 1-MR over the 8-week period. Inflammatory biomarkers were not different at long- or short-term among the three groups, except differences in groups for long-term IL-8 changes, differences in time for long-term LDH and short-term TNF-α changes, and interactions of time by group for short-term LDH changes. Quadriceps femoris performance of older women was not improved when photobiomodulation was associated to the proposed quadriceps femoris resistance training, when compared to training without photobiomodulation and a sedentary group.