Written by Amanda Lundberg, BSN, RN
The 40-hour work week is standard in the U.S., but the average CEO works an average of 62.5 hours each week. Similarly, amateur athletes train and practice even after their regular work days are over, and professional athletes use their work week to train - mentally and physically - and compete. The load on the body can take its toll, and executives and athletes at every level are turning to red light therapy products to help them keep up with life’s demands.
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CEOs and athletes both strive to achieve a high level of sustained performance. As members of each of these groups become more successful, the demands on their time, focus, and energy often increase, which can be physically and mentally depleting. Whether from burnout or injury,prolonged stress like that experienced by many high-level executives and high-performing athletes can seriously impact mental and physical well-being and the ability to continue to operate at such a high level.
The human body doesn’t react well to sustained physical and mental stress. When stressed, the body experiences inflammation and cell death, potentially contributing to cancer, dementia, arthritis, and more.
Red light therapy doesn’t mask symptoms as some medications do, and it doesn’t have the side effects that come with many drugs. It’s also appealing because it can be focused specifically on areas of the body that need rejuvenation and healing, and delivers more energy and a faster recovery than medication.
Red light therapy delivers energy via photons to stressed and damaged cells. These photons are absorbed by the cells, stimulating the mitochondria to accelerate the production of cellular energy. The pronounced anti-inflammatory effect of red light therapy has caught the attention of researchers. Although we don’t completely understand the exact cellular signaling pathways responsible for anti-inflammatory action, it’s well established that reduction of edema, oxidative stress markers, and pro-inflammatory cytokines can be attributed to red light therapy.
For business executives and athletes, this reduction in pain and inflammation allows them to “stay in the game,” requiring less downtime to bounce back from stress or injury.
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Red light therapy causes a biochemical process that helps stimulate healing and tissue growth. Studies show that phototherapy is an effective treatment to promote the healing of skin wounds as well as decreased inflammation, increased production of cells that form connective tissues, increased formation of granulation tissue during wound healing, and increased collagen production.
After an injury, any therapy that can speed up the healing process - as red light therapy has been shown to do - and will shorten recovery and minimize downtime will be popular with people like athletes and CEOs. People who thrive on immersing themselves in their daily activities don’t want to be sidelined during an extended recovery period.
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Red light therapy is a simple and non-invasive way to improve circulation. The photons produced by a red light therapy device are a specific wavelength and intensity to penetrate deeply into the body. This sets off a chemical reaction to release nitric oxide, which is a natural vasodilator, widening capillaries and blood vessels to facilitate improved circulation. When nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood flows to nerves and tissues, it reduces pain and supports healing and tissue rejuvenation.
Increased blood flow is another benefit of red light therapy that shortens recovery time and allows everyone from CEOs to athletes to continue performing at a high level.
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Red light therapy delivers concentrated natural light to your body’s cells, and it can improve sleep quality and duration while also helping the user to produce more naturally-occurring melatonin.
Because restorative sleep plays a big role in your overall health and well-being, anyone with a demanding lifestyle relies on getting quality sleep regularly to continue with daily activities that can be stressful and/or depleting.
When success depends on maintaining a schedule, whether you’re an athlete or a CEO, it’s preferable to avoid things that will cause you to deviate from that schedule. Overexertion can cause physical injuries and mental stress that require longer recovery periods, which can be detrimental to anyone who strives to stay on schedule to meet goals. Since red light therapy increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, and regenerates cells, it helps heal strained muscles and relieve pain while shortening recuperation time.
Red light therapy can reduce muscle fatigue and damage related to exercise. By decreasing the likelihood of injuries and strengthening muscles for endurance, red light therapy helps you maintain your heightened level of activity.
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Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production and accumulation of oxygen reactive species (ROS) in cells and tissues and the ability to detoxify them. ROS are toxic and lead to inflammation and cell death; they are the basis for diseases from cancer to arthritis to Alzheimer’s Disease. Since cells make up tissues, which make up organs, which make up the body, cell death is a path to organ destruction. When cells are stressed (or just naturally age), the mitochondria produce their own Nitric Oxide (NO), which blocks the process of creating cellular energy from sugar in the blood. When stressed, the body can’t remove enough Nitric Oxide properly and/or fast enough. Oxidative stress can lead to fatigue, memory loss or brain fog, pain in the muscles and joints, and neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression.
When the red light is absorbed by a protein in the mitochondria, the oxygen transport system returns to normal and cell function returns to optimal levels.
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In 2018, Clemson University created the Clemson Applied Science Lab at its football facility. It includes two infrared hyperthermic cocoon pods for far-infrared heat therapy to stimulate tissue repair and wound healing on a cellular level while increasing circulation and delivering the benefits of detoxification. Other recovery technology Clemson brought into their facility included sensory deprivation pods, human touch massage chairs, and compression therapy machines.
That season, the Tigers went undefeated, including a 44-16 victory over Alabama in the National Championship game. Can we confidently accredit their victory to red light therapy? Honestly, probably not.Red light therapy is not a magic pill, and you can’t solely rely on it. You need to take care of your body in many physical ways (e.g., healthy diet, exercise, etc.) and various therapeutic methods (e.g. hyperbaric oxygen therapy). With that being said, I strongly believe that red light therapy is a proven therapeutic modality that you need to incorporate.
Watch the video below about, and start at the 0:36 second mark to see Clemson's infrared light beds.
As far back as the 1990s, Navy SEAL team members were using red light therapy to help regenerate muscle tissue to keep their ranks able to perform at peak levels. A study showed a greater than 40 percent improvement in musculoskeletal training injuries for SEAL team members while decreasing wound healing time as well. That study also stated that red light therapy is best when used with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
In addition to preventing and treating injuries, the Texas Rangers’ medical staff works on rehabilitating baseball players to get them back on the field at peak performance levels. Under the umbrella of their Sports Science department, the Rangers have made red light therapy part of their rehab process, which the players fully support and trust.
The Detroit Athletic Club is an elegant, upscale athletic club built in 1925. In 2021, the Detroit Athletic Club added red-light therapy chambers as an amenity for its members inside their Recovery and Wellness Suite. This venue is one of the top-ranked private club and resort clubhouses in the nation.
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For anyone who has worked hard to achieve success, whether on the playing field or in the boardroom, it’s worth investing in tools that will allow you to continue to perform at the level you choose and maintain your health so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. The investment in non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive red light therapy that is safe for adults, children, and even pets will pay dividends of better overall health and well-being long into the future.
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Red light therapy is a highly studied treatment modality, with 550 randomized controlled trials, 5000 lab studies, and more than 40 new papers coming out each month on the subject. For unbiased research results, visit the National Library of Medicine’s Clinical Trials: "Red Light Therapy" search.
Photobiomodulation (PBM Therapy) is another name for red light therapy. Previously known as Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), it is the application of red and near-infrared light to injuries or lesions to improve wound and tissue healing, reduce inflammation and provide pain relief.
There are various reasons why everyone isn’t using this incredible therapy. Here are the top three reasons.
#1 Not everyone is aware of this therapy, and since it almost sounds too good to be true, many people don’t believe it can do all the things the research indicates it’s capable of.
#2 Pharmaceutical companies don’t profit from holistic treatments like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and red light therapy, so it’s common for them to “bury” these treatment methods in favor of narcotic and other pharmaceuticals solutions - even if your specific treatment needs could be met without the use of addictive substances. As a result, Western culture generally relies heavily on pharmaceuticals to treat merely the symptoms and not the underlying causes (cell damage).
#3 Cost can be a barrier to ownership, as high-quality red light therapy devices start at around $1,000 and can cost as much as $150,000 (with an average price of about $3,000- $5,000).
Whether you’re a CEO, an athlete, or somewhere in between, if you want to maintain peak performance levels with anything in your life, red light therapy can assist you in achieving that goal. If reducing pain and inflammation, speeding up recovery time, increasing circulation, getting better quality sleep, and supporting strength and stamina to ward off injuries without resorting to medications and their side effects all sound appealing - then red light therapy could be a great fit for your lifestyle.
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Amanda is a registered nurse with over a decade of experience in hospital, clinic, and healthcare management settings. Her primary focus has been collaborating with patients to manage disease processes. Aiming at continuing active lifestyles for her patients, Amanda has become an expert in adjunct therapies.
Amanda incorporates a holistic approach to heal the body from within. She has completed extensive research in remedial treatments using oxygen, as well as becoming a professional light therapy specialist. Her reparative ethos to health has sparked engaging conversations and teaching opportunities nationwide.
Amanda has taken her passion for articulating technical medical language and transitioned to freelance writing. She enjoys bringing a clinical voice to health and wellness brands.
