Muscle oxygenation measured using NIRS
Sports & Exercise Science encompasses everything from Exercise Physiology and biomechanics to Nutrition and Psychology, aiming to improve sport performance or general fitness. In sports science, it is critical to have insight into the local muscle oxygen consumption. Therefore, the non-invasive NIRS technology to measure local muscle oxygenation changes gathers much attention from the sports & exercise researchers.
Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a tool for researchers to determine local skeletal muscle's oxygenation, metabolism, and hemodynamic responses non-invasively. As an example, it can be used to establish the effect of an intervention, such as exercise or rehabilitation, on the desaturation and re-oxygenation rate of a local muscle tissue, or to assess muscle oxygen consumption as a measurement for in-vivo muscle metabolism by performing a limb occlusion.
Moreover, changes in blood flow can be derived from the change in total hemoglobin. And let’s not forget the tissue saturation index (TSI / TOI / SmO2 / StO2), the absolute ratio between oxygen-bound hemoglobin and non-oxygen-bound hemoglobin, which can provide information on local microvascular and mitochondrial function.
Easy muscle oxygenation monitoring using our NIRS devices
PortaMon
The gold-standard research device for the measurement of muscle oxygenation that measures oxy-, deoxy- and total hemoglobin in muscle tissue.
PortaLite
An advanced but lite muscle oxygenation monitoring device that measures local tissue saturation index (TSI), as well as oxy-, deoxy- and total hemoglobin concentration changes. The PortaLite MKII can measure on almost every muscle!
OctaMon M
Completely wearable 8 channel NIRS device that measures oxy-, deoxy- and total hemoglobin on any muscle in a non-invasive and truly portable way.
NIRS made easy
More insights on our NIRS devices
Are you interested in learning more about a specific (f)NIRS device? Request a free 1-on-1 online demo to see our devices and our software OxySoft!
Published sports sciences studies done with our NIRS devices
We develop both portable and stationary devices to measure brain and muscle oxygenation in local tissues non-invasively using the technology of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Read more in our highlighted publications on how to measure brain and / or muscle oxygenation during exercise performance and for sport sciences applications.
In this study, simultaneous measuring of the brain and vastus lateralis using the PortaLite and PortaMon revealed the effect of cycling and pure concentric / eccentric high-intensity interval exercise on cerebral and skeletal muscle oxygenation. The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Exercise on Skeletal Muscle and Cerebral Oxygenation during Cycling and Isokinetic Concentric and Eccentric Exercise. Perentis PA, Cherouveim ED, Malliou VJ, Margaritelis NV, Chatzinikolaou PN, Koulouvaris P, Tsolakis C, Nikolaidis MG, Geladas ND, Paschalis V (2021)
For this study, the Brite was used to assess hemodynamics in the prefrontal-cortex during executive function processing in response to high intensity intermittent exercise in male and female young adults. Prefrontal cortex hemodynamic response to acute high intensity intermittent exercise during executive function processing. Khandekar P., Shenoy S., Sathe A. (2022)
This study aimed to assess differences in cerebral and skeletal muscle oxygenation during eccentric and concentric exercise. Changes in oxy- and deoxy- hemoglobin, as well as tissue saturation index (TSI) were measured pre-frontal and on the vastus lateralis with PortaLite and PortaMon. Skeletal muscle and cerebral oxygenation levels during and after submaximal concentric and eccentric isokinetic exercise. Cherouveim ED, Margaritelis NV, Koulouvaris P, Tsolakis C, Malliou VJ, Chatzinikolaou PN, Franchi MV, Porcelli S, Kyparos A, Vrabas IS, Geladas ND, Nikolaidis MG, Paschalis V (2022)
Perrey et al. performed an updated systematic review discussing applications of muscle oximetry in sports sciences and technical developments of the last 5 years. In 191 identified studies, predominantly wearable devices to measure muscle oxygenation during exercise were employed, with the PortaMon being the most used device (40%). Next to recent application and future trends of NIRS in various sports, the review also discusses, which challenges and lacks could be identified and how these might be overcome. Muscle Oximetry in Sports Science: An Updated Systematic Review. Perrey, S., Quaresima, V. & Ferrari, M. (2024)
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