Shining a Light Up Your Nose Won’t Make You Ride Faster

Cyclists often try all sorts of unusual methods to boost their performance. You know, from experimenting with the latest supplements and diets that promise even a slight edge, to constantly tweaking their bikes—it’s a whole thing. And then there’s the more bizarre stuff, like illuminating your brain through your nose to get better at time trials. Yes, that’s actually a thing.

What is PBM?

So, photobiomodulation, or PBM for short, involves directing light into the body to spur various reactions. The light usually falls within the red to near-infrared spectrum—that’s wavelengths between 600 and 1,100 nm. Depending on where you aim it, the light could bring about a range of effects.

For instance, when directed at muscle tissue, it could boost oxygen demand, leading to improved results in time-to-exhaustion tests. PBM might also aid muscle recovery by reducing inflammation. Interestingly, even when this infrared light targets brain cells—referred to as transcranial PBM—it appears to enhance cognitive functions in healthy individuals and could offer potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s.

But how does PBM work? To put it simply, infrared light absorption in brain cells seems to promote increased blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain. Hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen, gets more oxygenated. This enhanced blood circulation can activate specific brain regions affected by PBM.

Also, when we talk about exercise performance, brain oxygenation levels do matter. Studies indicate that a decrease in cerebral oxygenation during intense exercise can lead to exhaustion. Specifically, the prefrontal cortex’s lack of oxygen seems to contribute to stopping points during controlled efforts.

If there’s indeed a connection between brain oxygenation and exercise, then perhaps using PBM to boost oxygen levels in the brain could aid cycling performance. Who knows? It’s an intriguing thought, and there’s definitely more to explore here.