Effects of Whole-Body Photobiomodulation on Performance, Recovery, Sleep, and Wellness Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Researchers conducted a systematic review to evaluate whether whole-body photobiomodulation (PBM) can improve physical performance, recovery, sleep quality, and overall wellness outcomes. Unlike localized treatments that target a specific body part, whole-body PBM exposes large areas of the body to red and near-infrared light simultaneously.

The goal was to assess whether whole-body light therapy provides measurable benefits for health, recovery, and human performance.

Study Design

Researchers reviewed multiple human studies involving:

• Whole-body red light therapy systems
• Whole-body near-infrared photobiomodulation
• Recovery and performance outcomes
• Sleep quality assessments
• Wellness and quality-of-life measures

The review analyzed available evidence across different populations and treatment protocols.

What Researchers Evaluated

The review examined effects on:

• Athletic recovery
• Physical performance
• Muscle soreness
• Sleep quality
• Fatigue
• Wellness outcomes
• Quality of life
• Exercise recovery markers

Key Findings

Researchers found growing evidence suggesting that whole-body photobiomodulation may provide benefits across several health and performance categories.

Reported benefits included:

• Improved recovery after exercise
• Reduced muscle soreness
• Enhanced physical performance measures
• Better sleep quality
• Improved wellness and subjective well-being scores
• Reduced fatigue in some study populations

Several studies reported positive changes in recovery and sleep-related outcomes following repeated whole-body PBM sessions.

Sleep Quality Improvements

One of the notable findings was the potential effect on sleep.

Researchers observed:

• Improvements in sleep quality measures
• Better recovery associated with improved sleep
• Potential support for overall restorative processes

Because sleep plays a major role in recovery, performance, cognition, and overall health, these findings are considered particularly relevant for wellness-focused PBM applications.

Recovery and Performance Benefits

The review found evidence suggesting that whole-body PBM may help:

• Accelerate recovery between training sessions
• Reduce exercise-related muscle stress
• Improve readiness for subsequent exercise
• Support physical performance maintenance

Researchers noted that improved mitochondrial function and cellular energy production may contribute to these effects.

How Whole-Body PBM Works

The review explains that photobiomodulation may influence:

• Mitochondrial ATP production
• Cellular energy metabolism
• Blood flow and circulation
• Inflammatory responses
• Tissue repair processes
• Recovery-related physiological pathways

These mechanisms may help explain the improvements observed across recovery, sleep, and wellness outcomes.

Limitations

Researchers noted that:

• Available studies remain relatively limited.
• Treatment parameters vary significantly.
• Larger randomized controlled trials are still needed.
• Standardized protocols have not yet been fully established.

Despite these limitations, the overall trend of evidence was favorable toward beneficial effects.

Conclusion

The review concluded that whole-body photobiomodulation shows promising potential for improving recovery, sleep quality, performance, and overall wellness. While additional research is needed to establish optimal treatment protocols, current evidence supports the growing use of whole-body red and near-infrared light therapy as a non-invasive wellness and recovery intervention.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39883205/