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Photobiomodulation Effects on Fatigue and Muscle Damage Induced by NMES

24. august 2026 oppdatert av: Marco Aurélio Vaz, PhD, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Effects of Photobiomodulation on Fatigue and Muscle Damage Induced by Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Healthy Individuals: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is widely used to improve muscle strength and mitigate atrophy. However, its clinical efficacy is often limited by early neuromuscular fatigue, muscle damage, and discomfort, which reduce patient tolerance and contraction time. Photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a potential therapy to enhance muscle performance and accelerate recovery by minimizing fatigue and damage. Despite its potential, few studies have investigated the effects of PBM applied specifically before an NMES-evoked fatigue protocol. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial aims to evaluate the acute effects of PBM on neuromuscular fatigue, muscle damage, and functional outcomes in healthy young subjects. Participants will receive either active PBM (cluster probe: 5 lasers 810nm/200mW; 4 LEDs 660nm/10mW; Total Energy: 249.6 J per limb) or sham treatment 5 minutes before a fatiguing NMES protocol (80 contractions at 20% MVIC, 80 Hz, 1ms pulse width) applied to the quadriceps muscle. Assessments will be performed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 24h, 48h, and 72h post-intervention. Primary outcomes include maximum and evoked isometric strength, mechanical work, and electrical muscle activity. Secondary outcomes include muscle damage (ultrasound echo-intensity), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), functional performance (unilateral vertical jump), and clinical discomfort. The study seeks to determine if PBM can effectively modulate NMES-induced fatigue and muscle damage, potentially optimizing its clinical application.

Studieoversikt

Status

Rekruttering

Forhold

Intervensjon / Behandling

Studietype

Intervensjonell

Registrering (Antatt)

36

Fase

  • Ikke aktuelt

Kontakter og plasseringer

Denne delen inneholder kontaktinformasjon for de som utfører studien, og informasjon om hvor denne studien blir utført.

Studiekontakt

Studiesteder

    • Rio Grande do Sul
      • Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, 90690200
        • Rekruttering
        • Laboratório de Pesquisa do Exercício
        • Ta kontakt med:
        • Hovedetterforsker:
          • Marco A Vaz, PhD
        • Underetterforsker:
          • Gustavo N Petter, MSc

Deltakelseskriterier

Forskere ser etter personer som passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kalt kvalifikasjonskriterier. Noen eksempler på disse kriteriene er en persons generelle helsetilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Kvalifikasjonskriterier

Alder som er kvalifisert for studier

  • Voksen

Tar imot friske frivillige

Ja

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy male and female volunteers.
  • Age between 18 and 45 years.
  • Practice physical activity regularly
  • No history of musculoskeletal injuries in the lower limbs in the last 6 months
  • Ability to tolerate NMES

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Have sensory intolerable changes due to NMES
  • Consumed coffee or another stimulant in the last 12 hours
  • Have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2 (grade I obesity)
  • Present any contraindication for the performance of maximum effort
  • Abnormal increase in blood pressure after maximal exertion

Studieplan

Denne delen gir detaljer om studieplanen, inkludert hvordan studien er utformet og hva studien måler.

Hvordan er studiet utformet?

Designdetaljer

  • Primært formål: Behandling
  • Tildeling: Randomisert
  • Intervensjonsmodell: Parallell tildeling
  • Masking: Trippel

Våpen og intervensjoner

Deltakergruppe / Arm
Intervensjon / Behandling
Eksperimentell: Photobiomodulation (PBM)
Participants in this arm will receive active photobiomodulation therapy.
Application of PBMT using a cluster probe (Thor-DD2; 5 laser diodes: 810nm, 200mW; 4 LEDs: 660nm, 10mW). The treatment involves 8 points on the quadriceps (2 on vastus medialis, 3 on vastus lateralis, and 3 on rectus femoris). Each point is irradiated for 30 seconds in continuous mode with direct contact and slight pressure. Total energy: 31.2 J per point and 249.6 J per limb. Both therapist and participant will wear protective goggles.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (Myomed 932) applied to the quadriceps. Parameters: 80 Hz frequency, 1 ms pulse width (biphasic rectangular pulse), 5s:10s ON:OFF ratio with 1s ramp-up/down. The protocol lasts 20 minutes, totaling 80 evoked isometric contractions. Current intensity is adjusted to generate an initial torque of 20% of the baseline Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC).
Sham-komparator: Sham PBM
Participants in this arm will receive an inactive (placebo) photobiomodulation treatment.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (Myomed 932) applied to the quadriceps. Parameters: 80 Hz frequency, 1 ms pulse width (biphasic rectangular pulse), 5s:10s ON:OFF ratio with 1s ramp-up/down. The protocol lasts 20 minutes, totaling 80 evoked isometric contractions. Current intensity is adjusted to generate an initial torque of 20% of the baseline Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC).
The procedure is identical to the active PBMT (8 points, 30 seconds per point, same pressure and positioning), but the device will be turned off. To ensure blinding, participants will wear protective goggles and a blindfold to prevent visual perception of the light.

Hva måler studien?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Tiltaksbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC)
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).

Largest knee extensor torque generated isometrically and voluntarily on an isokinetic dynamometer.

Unit of Measure: Newton-meters (N.m)

Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Evoked fatigue
Tidsramme: Continuously during the 20-minute fatigue protocol.
Fall in the evoked torque during the fatigue protocol. Unit of Measure: Newton-meters (N.m)
Continuously during the 20-minute fatigue protocol.

Sekundære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Tiltaksbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Muscle Echo Intensity
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).

Quantitative analysis of muscle ultrasound images to assess changes in echo intensity, reflecting acute edema and changes in muscle quality. Analysis will be performed specifically on the Rectus Femoris (RF), Vastus Medialis (VM), and Vastus Lateralis (VL).

Unit of Measure: Arbitrary Units (au) on a 0-255 grayscale

Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Pressure Pain Threshold
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
The minimum pressure at which a subject perceives a stimulus as painful, measured via pressure algometry on the quadriceps muscle bellies to quantify delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Unit of Measure: Newtons (N)
Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Quadriceps Muscle Thickness
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).

Ultrasound assessment of structural changes in the quadriceps muscle group, for the Rectus Femoris (RF), Vastus Medialis (VM), and Vastus Lateralis (VL). This variable evaluates acute morphological changes or edema-induced swelling following the NMES protocol.

Unit of Measure: Millimeters (mm)

Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Countermovement Jump (CMJ) Height
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).

Measure Description: Maximum jump height achieved during a vertical countermovement jump on a force platform to assess dynamic muscle power.

Unit of Measure: Centimeters (cm)

Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Lower Limb Joint Kinematics During Jump
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).

Measure Description: Sagittal plane kinematic analysis for the ankle, knee, hip, and trunk joints to evaluate movement strategies and joint range of motion during the countermovement jump.

Unit of Measure: Degrees (°)

Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Force-Time Curve Dynamics During Jump
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Analysis of the vertical ground reaction force-time curve during the propulsion phase of the countermovement jump. The primary parameter will be the Vertical Impulse, calculated as the integral of force over time. Unit of Measure: Newton-seconds (N.s)
Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Muscle Activation
Tidsramme: Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Surface electromyography (sEMG) to assess muscle activation amplitude during MVIC. Unit of Measure: Microvolts (uV)
Baseline (pre-intervention) on Day 1; immediately after the fatigue protocol on Day 1; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the fatigue protocol (on Days 2, 3, and 4, respectively).
Vastus Lateralis Fascicle Length
Tidsramme: Continuously during the 20-minute fatigue protocol on Day 1.

Measure Description: Assessment of real-time changes in the fascicle length of the Vastus Lateralis muscle during the fatigue protocol using continuous ultrasound imaging.

Unit of Measure: Millimeters (mm)

Continuously during the 20-minute fatigue protocol on Day 1.

Andre resultatmål

Resultatmål
Tiltaksbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Vastus Lateralis Pennation Angle
Tidsramme: Continuously during the 20-minute fatigue protocol on Day 1.

Measure Description: Assessment of real-time changes in the pennation angle of the Vastus Lateralis muscle during the fatigue protocol using continuous ultrasound imaging.

Unit of Measure: Degrees (°)

Continuously during the 20-minute fatigue protocol on Day 1.
Adipose Tissue Thickness
Tidsramme: Baseline
Measurement of the fat layer thickness overlying the Rectus Femoris, Vastus Medialis, and Vastus Lateralis using ultrasound imaging. This measure is used to characterize the sample's morphology and will serve as a covariate to adjust the delivered PBM dose and NMES current penetration analysis. Unit of Measure: Millimeters (mm)
Baseline

Samarbeidspartnere og etterforskere

Det er her du vil finne personer og organisasjoner som er involvert i denne studien.

Sponsor

Samarbeidspartnere

Etterforskere

  • Studiestol: Marco A Vaz, PhD, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
  • Studieleder: Marco A Vaz, PhD, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
  • Hovedetterforsker: Marco A Vaz, PhD, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Studierekorddatoer

Disse datoene sporer fremdriften for innsending av studieposter og sammendragsresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter og rapporterte resultater gjennomgås av National Library of Medicine (NLM) for å sikre at de oppfyller spesifikke kvalitetskontrollstandarder før de legges ut på det offentlige nettstedet.

Studer hoveddatoer

Studiestart (Faktiske)

1. juni 2026

Primær fullføring (Antatt)

30. august 2026

Studiet fullført (Antatt)

30. september 2026

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først innsendt

27. april 2026

Først innsendt som oppfylte QC-kriteriene

15. mai 2026

Først lagt ut (Faktiske)

22. mai 2026

Oppdateringer av studieposter

Sist oppdatering lagt ut (Faktiske)

25. august 2026

Siste oppdatering sendt inn som oppfylte QC-kriteriene

24. august 2026

Sist bekreftet

1. august 2026

Mer informasjon

Begreper knyttet til denne studien

Andre studie-ID-numre

  • 5.309.992(1)

Plan for individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)

Planlegger du å dele individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)?

NEI

IPD-planbeskrivelse

A final decision regarding the sharing of individual participant data has not yet been made. The study team intends to evaluate this possibility following the primary data analysis, in accordance with institutional guidelines and ethical committee requirements.

Legemiddel- og utstyrsinformasjon, studiedokumenter

Studerer et amerikansk FDA-regulert medikamentprodukt

Nei

Studerer et amerikansk FDA-regulert enhetsprodukt

Nei

Denne informasjonen ble hentet direkte fra nettstedet clinicaltrials.gov uten noen endringer. Hvis du har noen forespørsler om å endre, fjerne eller oppdatere studiedetaljene dine, vennligst kontakt register@clinicaltrials.gov. Så snart en endring er implementert på clinicaltrials.gov, vil denne også bli oppdatert automatisk på nettstedet vårt. .