Thermography applied during exercises with or without infrared light-emitting diode irradiation: individual and comparative analysis.

ABSTRACT: The aim of our study was to evaluate the cutaneous temperature during an exercise on a treadmill with or without infrared light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation in postmenopausal women.Thermography is an imaging technique in which radiation emitted by a body in the middle and far infrared spectrum is detected and associated with the temperature of the body's surface.Eighteen postmenopausal women were randomly divided into two groups: (1) the LED group, which performed the exercises on a treadmill associated with phototherapy (n=9) and; (2) the exercise group, which performed the exercises on a treadmill without additional phototherapy (n=9). The irradiation parameters for each women's thigh were: array of 2000 infrared LEDs (850?nm) with an area of 1,110?cm(2), 100?mW, 39 mW/cm(2), and 108?J/cm(2) for 45?min. The submaximal constant-speed exercise on the treadmill at intensities between 85% and 90% maximal heart rate (HRmax) with or without phototherapy were performed during 45?min, to perform the thermographic analysis. Thermography images were captured before the exercise (t=0), after 10, 35, and 45?min of exercising (t=10, t=35, and t=45) and at 5?min post-exercising (t=50).The LED group showed an increased cutaneous thigh temperature during the exercise (from 33.5±0.8°C to 34.6±0.9°C, p=0.03), whereas the exercise group showed a reduced cutaneous temperature (from 33.5±0.6 to 32.7±0.7°C, p=0.02). The difference between the groups was significant (p<0.05) at t=35, t=45, and t=50.These data indicate an improved microcirculation, and can explain one possible mechanism of action of phototherapy associated with physical exercises.

SUBMITTER: Paolillo FR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3700433 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature