Effects of LED therapy and cryotherapy recovery methods on maximal isometric handgrip strength and blood lactate removal in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioners

Abstract

Summary Introduction The post-fight recovery is a relevant topic that is used for improvement resting in order to keep performance as high as possible jiu-jitsu fighters. This study aimed to analyze the effects of three different recovery methods: (1) local cryotherapy by cold-water immersion; (2) light-emitting diodes (LED) therapy and (3) passive recovery on maximal isometric handgrip strength and lactate concentrations ([LA]) between fights in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioners. Summary of facts and results Ten men BJJ practitioners, in a crossover design, underwent to all the recovery methods proposed (cryotherapy, LED therapy, and passive recovery). The participants performed three visits with interval of seven days between them, in which each recovery method was used in a random manner between two sets of simulated fights. In each visit, practitioners performed a maximal handgrip strength test followed by blood samples collection to determine [LA] before the first fight. Then, they performed two sets of simulated fights with six minutes each set and 15 min resting interval between sets. The recovery method was applied during the resting period. Although there was no statistically significant difference between recovery methods for maximal isometric handgrip strength, there was a moderate ES between cryotherapy and passive recovery (ES = 0.78) and a moderate ES between LED therapy and passive recovery (ES = 0.58) for the percentage variation of handgrip strength before and after the recovery period. Conclusion Results suggest that LED therapy and cryotherapy are associated with greater maximal isometric handgrip strength recovery between fights compared to passive recovery.