MLS® laser treatment: a tool to counteract microgravity-induced muscle atrophy

M. Monici
XXIV National  Congress of Italian Association for Aeronautical and Space Medicine, Rome, June 2011

It is well known that muscle atrophy, together with bone loss and impairment of immune system, is a major problem in space missions and countermeasures are needed to prevent disuse atrophy and favour muscle recovery.

Studies on microgravity-induced muscle atrophy demonstrated that it is associated with a shift in substrate utilization from fat to glucose, altered mitochondrial function, increase in ATP consumption per force-time-integral, indicating a reduced metabolic efficiency.

Lasertherapy is already used in sports medicine to accelerate muscle recovery after exercise and prevent damages produced by metabolic disturbances and inflammatory reactions after heavy exercise (Leal Junior et al., 2009).

The aim of the research we present was to get insights on possible benefits deriving from the application of an advanced laser system to counteract deficits of muscle energy metabolism.

The laser source was a Multiwave Locked System (MLS), which combines continuous/pulsed emissions at 808 nm and 904 nm. respectively.