Red Light Therapy: a Potential Strategy to Reduce Sports Injury Risk? (DIAERESIS)

March 17, 2026 updated by: Cláudio da Silva Ferreira
This study investigates whether near-infrared light therapy can acutely improve ankle dorsiflexion mobility and hamstring flexibility, two factors associated with sports injury risk. Healthy adult students will complete three randomized conditions: a control session, a 10-minute cycling warm-up, and a 10-minute exposure to a red and near-infrared LED panel (MITO LIGHT®). Mobility and flexibility will be assessed before and after each condition using the Knee-to-Wall Test (KWT) and the Active Knee Extension Test (AKET). The study aims to determine whether photobiomodulation may serve as a potential strategy to reduce musculoskeletal injury risk.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This randomized crossover study examines the acute effects of near-infrared LED-based photobiomodulation on ankle dorsiflexion mobility and hamstring flexibility in healthy adults. Each participant will complete three sessions in randomized order: (1) control, (2) 10-minute cycling warm-up, and (3) 10-minute exposure to a red and near-infrared LED panel (MITO LIGHT®), emitting wavelengths range of 800-860 nm. The LED panel will be positioned at 15 cm distance at 100% intensity. Pre- and post-intervention assessments will include the Knee-to-Wall Test (KWT) and the Active Knee Extension Test (AKET). The study is conducted at the Human Movement Laboratory of the University of Aveiro and follows ethical approval from the CEIC-UA. Data will be anonymized and processed according to GDPR. The goal is to determine whether photobiomodulation may contribute to reducing sports injury risk by improving key biomechanical parameters.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

40

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Portugal
    • Aveiro District
      • Aveiro, Aveiro District, Portugal, 3810-193
        • Human Movement Laboratory, Escola Superior de Saúde da Universidade de Aveiro (ESSUA)
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Cláudio da Silva Ferreira, MSc Student

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Active and healthy university students
  • No current pain or injury in the lower limbs
  • Ability to perform the Knee-to-Wall Test (KWT) and Active Knee Extension Test (AKET)
  • Availability to attend all three sessions with at least 72 hours between assessments
  • Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Use of photosensitizing medication currently or within the past 3 weeks (as collected in the medical questionnaire)
  • Recent musculoskeletal injury of the lower limbs or any sports-related injury with relevant downtime
  • Presence of pain, joint limitation, or any medical condition preventing safe performance of KWT or AKET

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control
10 minutes lying-down rest before assessments
Active Comparator: Cycling Warm-up
10 minutes cycling warm-up before assessments
Other: Cycling Warm-up
10 minutes cycling warm-up on a stationary cycle ergometer at 55-75% of maximum heart rate, followed by mobility and flexibility assessments.
Experimental: Near-Infrared Photobiomodulation
10 minutes Near-Infrared exposure before assessments
Device: Near-infrared photobiomodulation
Exposure to a near-infrared LED panel emitting wavelengths range of 800-860 nm for 10 minutes at a distance of 15 cm and 100% intensity. Mobility and flexibility tests (KWT and AKET) are performed immediately before and after the exposure.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after each condition (control, cycling warm-up, and near-infrared photobiomodulation)
Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion will be assessed using the weight-bearing lunge test (knee-to-wall test). The distance from the hallux to the wall (cm) will be measured with the knee touching the wall and the heel on the floor. Higher values indicate greater dorsiflexion mobility
Immediately before and immediately after each condition (control, cycling warm-up, and near-infrared photobiomodulation)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hamstring flexibility
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after each condition (control, cycling warm-up, and near-infrared photobiomodulation)
Hamstring flexibility will be assessed using the active knee extension test (AKET). With the hip flexed to 90° in supine position, the participant will actively extend the knee, and the knee flexion angle (degrees) will be measured with a goniometer. Lower angles indicate greater hamstring flexibility.
Immediately before and immediately after each condition (control, cycling warm-up, and near-infrared photobiomodulation)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Cláudio da Silva Ferreira

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Cláudio da Silva Ferreira, Licenciate, University of Aveiro

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Shamsi, M., Mirzaei, M., & Khabiri, S. S. (2019). Universal goniometer and electro-goniometer intra-examiner reliability in measuring the knee range of motion during active knee extension test in patients with chronic low back pain with short hamstring muscle. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 11(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-019-0116-x
  • Olivencia, O., Godinez, G. M., Dages, J., Duda, C., Kaplan, K., Kolber, M. J., Kaplan, & Kolber. (2020). THE RELIABILITY AND MINIMAL DETECTABLE CHANGE OF THE ELY AND ACTIVE KNEE EXTENSION TESTS. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 15(5), 776-782. https://doi.org/10.26603/ijspt20200776
  • Warneke, K., Meder, J., Plöschberger, G., Oraže, M., Zechner, M., Jochum, D., Siegel, S. D., & Konrad, A. (2025). Can measurement errors explain variance in the relationship between muscle- and tendon stiffness and range of motion?-a blinded reliability and objectivity study. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 125(9), 2415-2430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-025-05814-1
  • Konor, M. M., Morton, S., Eckerson, J. M., & Grindstaff, T. L. (2012). Reliability of three measures of ankle dorsiflexion range of motion. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 7(3), 279-287

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

March 23, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 13, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 17, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 13-CEIC-UA/2026-M

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

All collected data will be anonymized for statistical analysis and stored securely with restricted access. Therefore, the dataset will be made available upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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