Does Red Light to the Brain Boost Endurance In Trained Cyclists? What the Data Actually Says
Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) is everywhere in performance culture —shine near-infrared light on the prefrontal cortex and supposedly you get better oxygenation, lower perceived effort, delayed central fatigue, and improved endurance. This Deep Dive episode breaks down a clean, double-blind crossover study in trained cyclists who rode their own bikes through a standardized constant-load effort followed by a 25-minute time trial. The conclusion was clear: acute tPBM at 810nm (40Hz, 20 minutes, with an intranasal component) did not improve performance, heart rate, lactate, perceived…
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