Red light therapy is a recovery tool that uses red and near-infrared light to help working muscles bounce back after training – research suggests it may reduce muscle fatigue, ease post-workout soreness, and support faster recovery, especially when used around the time you exercise. If you have ever finished a hard leg day and spent the next two days wincing on the stairs, you already know the enemy: delayed onset muscle soreness. Red light therapy has become one of the most talked-about ways athletes and everyday gym-goers try to blunt that soreness and get back to training sooner. Here is what the science actually says, how it works, and how to fold it into your routine.
What Is Red Light Therapy for Muscle Recovery?
Red light therapy – known in the research literature as photobiomodulation (PBM) – is the use of specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light delivered to the body at low levels. Unlike UV tanning, red and near-infrared PBM does not use ultraviolet light and is not intended to tan the skin. Instead, the light is absorbed by your cells and used as a signal that appears to nudge them toward more efficient energy production and a calmer inflammatory response.
For recovery specifically, the wavelengths that matter most are red light around 630–660 nanometers and near-infrared light around 810–850 nanometers. Red light is absorbed closer to the surface, while near-infrared penetrates deeper toward muscle tissue – which is exactly why full-body devices built for recovery combine both. To understand the underlying mechanism in more depth, it helps to start with our pillar guide on what red light therapy is and how photobiomodulation works.
The Science: How Light May Help Muscles Recover
Muscle tissue is metabolically demanding. When you train hard, your muscle cells burn through energy, generate metabolic byproducts, and experience micro-damage and localized inflammation. That inflammation is a normal and even necessary part of adaptation – but it is also a large part of what makes you sore and temporarily weaker in the days that follow.
The leading hypothesis for how red and near-infrared light influence this process centers on the mitochondria, the energy factories inside your cells. Researchers widely believe that an enzyme in the mitochondrial respiratory chain called cytochrome c oxidase absorbs red and near-infrared photons, and that this absorption is thought to improve the cell’s ability to produce ATP, the molecule that powers virtually everything cells do. Some of that effect may also involve the light-triggered release of nitric oxide, which can influence local blood flow. This mitochondrial model is the most widely cited explanation in the field, though it is best understood as a leading working model rather than fully settled science.
Alongside the energy story, photobiomodulation is also thought to modulate inflammation and oxidative stress. In practical terms, the idea is that light may help muscle cells manage the aftermath of exercise more efficiently – producing energy while keeping the inflammatory and oxidative response from lingering longer than it needs to. That combination is why the therapy is studied both for performance and for recovery.
What the Research Shows
This is an area with a genuinely substantial body of controlled research, which is part of why it has drawn so much interest from sports science.
A systematic review with meta-analysis by Leal-Junior and colleagues examined the effects of light therapy (both low-level laser and LED) on exercise performance and markers of recovery. The authors reported that light therapy applied before exercise improved measures of performance and reduced markers of exercise-induced muscle damage, with the strongest and most consistent effects seen when the light was applied before activity rather than only after.
A larger systematic review and meta-analysis led by Vanin and colleagues pooled data across many studies on photobiomodulation for muscular performance and fatigue in healthy people. It concluded that photobiomodulation can help improve muscular performance and reduce fatigue, while also underscoring how much the results depend on getting the parameters right – wavelength, dose, and timing all influence whether an effect shows up.
A separate meta-analysis by Nampo and colleagues looked specifically at phototherapy for exercise capacity and muscle performance and likewise found supportive effects, again with the important caveat that outcomes hinge on the treatment parameters used.
Bringing this into practice, Leal-Junior, Lopes-Martins, and Bjordal published a set of clinical and scientific recommendations for using photobiomodulation to enhance performance and support post-exercise recovery, reflecting how far the evidence had matured toward real-world protocols. And a broad review by Ferraresi, Huang, and Hamblin – three of the most published names in the field – examined photobiomodulation in human muscle tissue and its potential advantages in a sports context.
Two honest takeaways sit alongside those positive findings. First, timing appears to matter: much of the strongest evidence points to applying light around your training, with pre-exercise application standing out. Second, effect sizes vary and depend heavily on dose. This is not a magic switch that erases soreness – it is a supportive tool that the research suggests may meaningfully help, when used correctly and consistently. We would rather tell you that plainly than overpromise.
Red Light Therapy vs. Other Recovery Methods
Most people already lean on familiar recovery habits – sleep, hydration, protein, stretching, foam rolling, and sometimes cold exposure. Red light therapy is not a replacement for any of those fundamentals; it is a complement to them. What makes it appealing is that it is passive and low-effort: you lie down, relax, and let the session run.
It is also worth noting that some studies have compared photobiomodulation directly against cold-water immersion and cryotherapy for recovery. This is an active and evolving research conversation, and the point is not that one universally beats the other, but that light therapy has earned a legitimate seat at the table among recovery modalities that sports scientists take seriously.
How to Use Red Light Therapy for Recovery at EverSun
EverSun’s full-body red light system combines red and near-infrared wavelengths used within the broader field of photobiomodulation research. It uses roughly 28,000 LEDs delivering red light at 635 nm and near-infrared at 850 nm – providing both visible red and deeper-penetrating near-infrared wavelengths. The bed positions you in a zero-gravity recline with gentle vibration, and a typical session runs about 15 minutes. Because you are lying down with the light source close to the entire body, coverage and proximity are consistent – and proximity matters, because light intensity drops quickly with distance from the skin.
A few practical pointers:
- Consistency beats intensity. Like most things in training, the benefits of light therapy show up with repetition. An occasional one-off session is unlikely to do much; a regular rhythm around your training week is where people tend to notice a difference.
- Consider timing around your workouts. Given that the research points to pre-exercise application as particularly effective for performance and recovery, using the bed on training days – before or shortly after your session – is a reasonable approach. A consultant can help you build a schedule that fits your routine.
- Pair it with the basics. Red light therapy works best stacked on top of good sleep, adequate protein, and sensible programming – not in place of them.
- Set realistic expectations for your first session. Red light therapy is not a dramatic, feel-it-instantly experience – you lie in a comfortable, warm-feeling recline for about 15 minutes and simply relax. There is no pain, no downtime, and nothing to recover from afterward. The point is what happens over a training block, not a single visit, so judge it by how your body handles a few weeks of hard training with the bed in your routine, not by how you feel walking out the door the first day.
If your goals extend beyond recovery into skin health, the same underlying mechanism is why red light is also studied for collagen and the visible signs of aging – you can read more in our guide to red light therapy benefits for skin.
Who Might Benefit Most
Red light therapy for recovery tends to appeal to a few groups: strength athletes and lifters chasing shorter soreness windows between hard sessions; runners and endurance athletes managing repetitive load; weekend warriors who train hard but cannot afford to be wrecked for days afterward; and anyone returning to exercise who wants to keep post-workout soreness manageable. As with any new wellness practice, if you have a medical condition or take medications that affect how your body responds to light or heat, check with your healthcare provider first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does red light therapy really help with muscle recovery? The research is encouraging. Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found that photobiomodulation may improve muscular performance, reduce fatigue, and support recovery, with the most consistent results when light is applied around the time of exercise. Results vary from person to person and depend on using the right wavelengths and dose.
When should I use red light therapy – before or after my workout? Much of the strongest evidence points to applying light before exercise for performance and recovery benefits, though using it after training is also common. On training days, either approach is reasonable; a consultant can help you decide based on your schedule and goals.
How long does a red light recovery session take? At EverSun, a session in our full-body red light bed typically runs about 15 minutes. Because the benefits build with repetition, regular sessions tend to matter more than any single long one.
Is red light therapy the same as a tanning session? No. Red light therapy uses red and near-infrared wavelengths and contains no UV, so it works through a completely different mechanism and does not tan the skin. It is a distinct service from UV tanning, with a different purpose.
Will red light therapy get rid of soreness completely? It is best thought of as a tool that may help reduce and shorten soreness, not eliminate it. It works best alongside the recovery fundamentals – sleep, hydration, nutrition, and smart training.
How soon will I notice a difference? Some people notice they feel less beat-up after hard sessions fairly quickly, but because effects build with consistency, a regular routine over several weeks is the fairer test.
Sources
- Leal-Junior ECP, Vanin AA, Miranda EF, et al. Effect of phototherapy (low-level laser therapy and light-emitting diode therapy) on exercise performance and markers of exercise recovery: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Lasers in Medical Science. 2015;30(2):925–939.
- Vanin AA, Verhagen E, Barboza SD, Costa LOP, Leal-Junior ECP. Photobiomodulation therapy for the improvement of muscular performance and reduction of muscular fatigue associated with exercise in healthy people: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lasers in Medical Science. 2018;33(1):181–214.
- Nampo FK, Cavalheri V, dos Santos Soares F, de Paula Ramos S, Camargo EA. Low-level phototherapy to improve exercise capacity and muscle performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lasers in Medical Science. 2016;31(9):1957–1970.
- Leal-Junior ECP, Lopes-Martins RAB, Bjordal JM. Clinical and scientific recommendations for the use of photobiomodulation therapy in exercise performance enhancement and post-exercise recovery: current evidence and future directions. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy. 2019;23(1):71–75.
- Ferraresi C, Huang YY, Hamblin MR. Photobiomodulation in human muscle tissue: an advantage in sports performance? Journal of Biophotonics. 2016;9(11–12):1273–1299.
- Karu TI. Primary and secondary mechanisms of action of visible to near-IR radiation on cells. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B. 1999;49(1):1–17.
- Hamblin MR. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophysics. 2017;4(3):337–361.
- Tsou YA, Chang NJ, Chang WD. Effects of photomodulation therapy for delayed onset muscle soreness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2025;10(3):277.
- Canez MS, da Silva LI, Ferreira GD, de Araújo FX, Luza LP. Effects of photobiomodulation, intermittent pneumatic compression and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle recovery: systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2025;44:570–584.
This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and it is not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare professional. While many studies support the benefits of light-based and skincare treatments, results vary from person to person. Research findings discussed here may involve devices, wavelengths, doses and treatment protocols that differ from EverSun equipment. Consult your healthcare provider about any potential interactions before beginning a new treatment.