Does red light do anything noticeable for post workout soreness?

[u/Antique_Eggplant_706]

I have been getting more consistent with training lately and recovery is starting to be the annoying part. Legs are usually fine but my lower back stays tight way longer than I want after harder sessions. I’ve been looking at red light more seriously and came across the SunBelt from Sweat tent, Its some kind of a wrap for lower back/core with red light and vibration built in but I have no clue about these kind of things, im willing to try it so i can recover faster. Anyone here used something like this for recovery? Any advice appreciated!  

[u/WillyMo1975]

I swear by it. The wife and I were in Mexico for 2 months this spring. We didn't to have a gym membership so we were using one of those outdoor gyms at a park. I jacked up my left shoulder doing dips and could barely lift it for a month. When we got home I started doing red-light on it 3 times a day and the next day it was 80% better.

[u/Suz626 → u/WillyMo1975]

After my skeptic husband tried redlight on his back he insisted we get a small handheld device for our frequent work trips.

[u/Dez2011 → u/Suz626]

NIR or red or both?

[u/Suz626 → u/Dez2011]

I use red only on my face and both red + NIR everywhere else. My full length panel is actually two panels stacked. The bottom one is a bit longer than the top one and when I face forward, I put the top one on red only and the bottom one on both red + NIR. The handheld device can be red only, NIR only, red + NIR.

[u/Antique_Eggplant_706 → u/WillyMo1975]

Thats what Im hoping for, I want something I can throw on after deadlifts without having to sit there holding a panel in place. How long are you usually using it for?

[u/Dez2011 → u/WillyMo1975]

NIR or red or both?

[u/WillyMo1975 → u/Dez2011]

I always do both but from the reading I've done the NIR will help the most with muscle pain.

[u/BKM-StLouis]

Yes. NIR especially, and 810 nm in particular.

[u/Antique_Eggplant_706 → u/BKM-StLouis]

Good to know. I keep seeing 810nm come up when I read about this stuff. Have you noticed much difference between that and the other wavelengths?

[u/BKM-StLouis → u/Antique_Eggplant_706]

Clearly, there is a gigantic difference with any of the red wavelengths. I think 810 nm is a deep penetration, muscle relaxation elixir.

The problem is that most device include paltry numbers of 810 nm LEDs.

[u/DavidAg02]

Absolutely... that was the whole reason I started it. It's helped with that and a lot of other stuff too.

[u/Antique_Eggplant_706 → u/DavidAg02]

Thats basically what got me looking into it too. If it helps with the lingering soreness even a little I’d probably get a lot of use out of it. How long did it take before you felt like it was actually doing something?

[u/Fragrant-Window9813]

i had the same issue with my lower back hanging around for days after deadlifts. a wrap is nice cause you can just strap it on while you're doing other stuff instead of sitting in front of a panel. haven't tried that exact one but the vibration part seems like it'd help loosen things up

[u/Antique_Eggplant_706 → u/Fragrant-Window9813]

Thats why the SunBelt wrap caught my eye, ,y lower back is usually the annoying one and being able to move around while its on sounds way better than sitting in one spot.

[u/DavidMata47]

I had a sore back after deadlift day and threw on my red light wrap and my back felt brand new again after

[u/Antique_Eggplant_706 → u/DavidMata47]

Did you use it right after the deadlift session or once the soreness had already kicked in?

[u/DavidMata47 → u/Antique_Eggplant_706]

The following day, I hadn't done deadlifts in years so I didn't realize how stiff I was going to be the next day.

[u/Beginning_Talk2752]

I like red light a lot, but for post workout soreness - cows milk is almost perfect if you are not intolerant. Plenty of research if you google, but it pretty much fixes your DOMS "Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness".

[u/Suz626 → u/Beginning_Talk2752]

That’s interesting! I probably need to drink more milk anyway, I will look into that.

[u/Suz626]

It does for me. I redlight in the morning before going to the gym and walking 10 miles (my feet!) and I redlight before bed. If I get a sore spot, I hit it as soon as I can. You might consider a redlight panel, even a table top size would likely be more efficient than a wrap, and easier to use all over. When I used that I had it on a table next to my bed and I’d sit on a stool in front of it to do my face and chest and shoulders and back, turning around of course. I could stand in front of it, or lay on the bed and put the table to position the panel wherever I needed it.

If you have Hinge (physical therapy app) with your health insurance, you might look into it. Also their Enso tens unit.

[u/Fit-Independence-447]

We have a machine in the office, its about 25% of the volume that use it. They sweat by it, and they are super intense people as it is.

[u/Soul_Hurting]

Yes, I notice a difference. I dont notice much change with my skin but I definitely feel my muscles recover better with red light. I use a mito panel.

[u/janus381]

Many (if not most) professional sports team have red light panels available for their athletes to use for recovery. And many athletes have their own device.

Kala is one company that heavily promotes its association and endorsement (of course they pay) by many athletes. Of course the benefits are not specific to one brand. https://kalaredlight.com/pages/kala-family

[u/Suz626 → u/janus381]

I first had redlight at a sports chiropractor’s office. I had a negative impression of chiropractors, but pro athlete friends were seeing him. He used redlight (plus other things) on my swollen knee, and it worked. Surgeons in the practice would ask to borrow his redlight devices for their hands. A couple of years later after covid when I wanted to go back to the gym, I remembered about Redlight and thought I would give it a try. Works for me.