Three-time Arnold Strongman Classic champion and 2024 Strongest Man on Earth Mitchell Hooper may be the most strategic athlete in the sport. His attention to detail and technique have garnered him 24 straight podium finishes in his relatively short strongman career. “The Moose” applies that same attention to recovery and explains red light therapy’s involvement in mid-May 2025.
Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation (PBM), is a type of phototherapy technique that uses red and near-infrared light wavelengths. Hooper explained red light therapy’s ability to improve mitochondrial function by stimulating adenotriphosphate (ATP) production and reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). The goal is to improve cellular energy and enhance tissue repair while reducing inflammation.
[Red light therapy] is used for acne, scarring, wound healing, skin health, muscle recovery, inflammation, and brain health.
—Mitchell Hooper
Red light therapy has been shown to be safe for skin and acne treatment, but the jury is still out on how effective red light therapy can be for other needs. (1)(2)
Hooper is not the only former World’s Strongest Man (WSM) who believes in red light therapy. 2017 WSM winner Eddie Hall has also touted regular use. Hall told Hooper that using it may only add one percent, but different methods used simultaneously that add one percent each can add up, and it may be what helps Hooper reach his goal of a 505-kilogram deadlift.
Before you know it, you have five percent. Five percent of 475 is 24 or 25 kilos, which can take you to 500.
Hooper tested four products to determine which could deliver on the 1064nm wavelength he needed to penetrate the deepest muscle tissue (3).
After testing red light therapy for a month, Hooper felt his improvements were “off the charts” while preparing for the 2025 WSM contest, when he achieved a 225-pound Circus Dumbbell lift, deadlifts and squats with 705 pounds for 10 reps, and a 405-pound behind-the-neck press.
While in a room with red lights, Hooper acknowledged feeling more heat in his injured hip.
I feel like my range of motion has increased, and my recovery is improved when I use the red light therapy.
—Mitchell Hooper
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References
- Padoin, S., Zeffa, A. C., Molina Corrêa, J. C., de Angelis, T. R., Moreira, T. B., Barazetti, L. K., & de Paula Ramos, S. (2022). Phototherapy Improves Muscle Recovery and Does Not Impair Repeated Bout Effect in Plyometric Exercise. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(12), 3301–3310. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003895
- Glass G. E. (2021). Photobiomodulation: The Clinical Applications of Low-Level Light Therapy. Aesthetic surgery journal, 41(6), 723–738. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjab025
- Penberthy, W. T., & Vorwaller, C. E. (2021). Utilization of the 1064 nm Wavelength in Photobiomodulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of lasers in medical sciences, 12, e86. https://doi.org/10.34172/jlms.2021.86
Featured Image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
