Laser focus boosting athletic performance with low-level laser therapy

The use of laser therapy in sports medicine is nothing new, although progressive applications for peak athletic performance are now going far beyond joint, muscle, tendon and ligament repair.

As no two lasers or sources of light are created equal, this article explores Class 2 low-l Level laser therapy (i.e., low power and visible spectrum light). These lasers are non-thermal (no heat production), safe for applications beyond the aforementioned connective tissues and their positive benefits can be found across the literature in the areas of traumatic brain injury, cognitive decline, neurodegenerative diseases, learning and behavioral disorders, organic diseases and peak brain and athletic performance.

Class 2 low-level laser therapy

At their core, Class 2 low-level lasers are proven to stimulate/enhance cellular energy production through their effects on the electron transport chain (ETC) in the metabolic pathway of oxidative phosphorylation. When interacting with protein and coenzymes complexes within the ETC, such as NADH and succinate dehydrogenase and various cytochromes, visible spectrum light at low power can drive the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and provide needed energy for all cellular processes, including muscle contraction, nerve transmission and countless chemical reactions.

While most are familiar with “red light” therapy, new research and applications with shorter wavelengths, such as violet and green light, are emerging that demonstrate the holistic impact on cellular energy production that red light alone cannot provide. Red light stimulates only one of four key complexes in the ETC, whereas violet and green now allow for stimulation of all four. This is a fundamental change in the clinical toolbox that will allow healthcare providers to deliver a higher level of service and enhanced clinical outcomes to their patient populations.

The benefits of low-level laser therapy for peak athletic performance: An example

At APEX Brain Centers, we harness the power of all three light sources and are realizing the treatment times for both injury and peak athletic performance being dramatically reduced. This is particularly important in cases where we need to get athletes back on the track, field, court, etc., as quickly as possible.

Manteo Mitchell, a long-time patient and friend of ours at APEX has built low-level laser therapy into his training and treatment arsenal with the highest of returns. Many may know Manteo as the track and field phenom that famously fractured his fibula during the men’s 4x400m relay while representing the U.S during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in 2012. And they were still able to secure a silver medal.

Subsequent to the London Olympics, we began to work with Manteo on the physical challenges related to the injury, as well as the cognitive and mental challenges that sports at the highest of levels brings with it. He was not finished and relied on changes in research and training methodology that would continue to help him perform at his peak level, even after injury and age concerns crept in. Fast forward to 2024 and Manteo is now training to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy in men’s bobsled – and standing on the podium there would make him one of only seven individuals in the world to have medaled in both the summer and winter games.

Over the past years working with Manteo, we have employed low-level laser therapy as a core strategy to facilitate his ongoing cognitive, physical, neurological and metabolic enhancement training regimen. Applications with cold laser therapy delivered simultaneously with physical and cognitive tasks on an ongoing basis have allowed him to not only to maintain levels of peak physical and cognitive fitness, but to continue to crush his goals on a regular basis. In many ways, he is stronger than he ever was at 37 years of age when so many are beyond their Olympic careers and dreams. We can’t wait to see what he does in 2026.

Treatment approaches for complex brain injuries

As with Manteo and other athletes we treat, we deliver the same clinical thought processes and treatment approaches to our complex brain injury cases, those with cognitive impairments, learning and behavioral disorders, etc. Energy is energy – whether it is fueling the metabolic demands of a high-level athlete or helping someone walk who has suffered a traumatic brain injury (oftentimes more important in the latter as energy demands are higher in those that have lost proper control over their bodily functions).

Low-level lasers: Revolutionizing healthcare

Harnessing the power of various wavelengths of light (red, green, violet), coupled with balance and vestibular therapies, visual/eye movement rehabilitation, training of motor timing and complex motor skills, neurofeedback/biofeedback, audio-visual entrainment, frequency-based therapies (electrical, vibratory, sound, light), hyperbaric oxygen therapy and metabolic and nutritional therapies is a recipe for success with any patient population. Light therapy, particularly low-level laser therapy, is the future of brain-body medicine and low-level lasers stand at the forefront of this healthcare revolution with their wide array of clinical devices, research and device clearances.

MICHAEL S. TRAYFORD, DC, is board certified in chiropractic neurology and neurofeedback. He is the founder/director of operations at APEX Brain Centers in Asheville, North Carolina. He sits on the board of the International Society for Neuro Regulation and Research and is board advisor for the Dementia Society of America. For more information, visit apexbraincenters.com or erchoniagvl.com.

Editor’s note: This article was developed by Erchonia for Chiropractic Economics.