Effects of Far-Infrared Emitting Ceramic materials on recovery during 2-week preseason of elite futsal players

Nunes et al, 2020 [randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial; n = 20; male; mean age of 24.0 ± 4.7] aimed to investigate the effects of far-infrared emitting ceramic materials (FIRc) during overnight sleep on neuromuscular, biochemical, and perceptual markers in futsal players. During a 2-week preseason training program and during sleep participants wore bioceramic or placebo pants for approximately 8h/day. Performance (countermovement jump [CMJ]; squat jump [SJ]; sprints 5, 10, and 15-m) and biochemical markers (tumor necrosis factor alpha-TNF-α, interleukin 10-IL-10, thiobarbituric acid–reactive species [TBARS], carbonyl, superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT]) were obtained at baseline and after the 1st and 2nd week of training. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and training strain were monitored throughout. No significant differences in skeletal muscle performance between the groups was found; however, based on the qualitative analyses the results demonstrated quantitative changes in SJ (likely higher at week 2), CMJ (possibly higher at week 1) and 10-m sprint time (likely faster at week 1) in BIO compared with the PL group; however, the effect size was considered small in these cases. Similarly, no significant differences in DOMS were noted between groups; however, the magnitude-based analyses demonstrated that FIRc treatment was likely lower in 7 training session (35% of the preseason) with a moderate and large effect. There was statistical difference on group × time interaction in TNF-α in weeks 1 and 2 . Furthermore, the BIO showed values possibly and likely higher in week 1 and week 2 than in PL, respectively, with a small, standardized difference. Compared with BAS, IL-10 decreased significantly across weeks 1 and 2 for the groups. The values reported in BIO were likely higher than those in PL in week 1 and week 2, with a small effect size. Significant effects over time in TBARS were seen in weeks 1 and 2, and the changes were likely higher in BIO than in PL. An increase was observed in Carbonyl in weeks 1 and 2 compared for both groups. Moreover, the values were possibly higher in BIO than in PL in week 2, with a small effect size. A decrease was observed in SOD in week 1 and week 2. Magnitude-based inference analysis showed unclear for all conditions. Overall, according to the authors the results suggest that the daily use of FIRc clothing could facilitate recovery, especially on perceptual markers during the early phases of an intensive training period.