Valkee also proved to increase the capacity of reaction in athletes

The innovative Valkee light therapy device that sends bright light over the ear canal to the brain, was tested thanks to the initiative of Hannu Jortikka, the former chief coach of a hockey team. He thought it would be useful for the KHL hockey team Admiral Vladivostok, which often has to travel across Russia to participate in the games of the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League). The Valkee device was meant to help reducing the effects of long-haul flights and time differences, which had a negative impact on the physical and mental performance of the athletes.

One major benefit of light therapy is that it is a method that doesn't use any sort of drugs. With the Valkee light therapy device even sessions of 9-12 minutes a day are enough. The device also provides flexibility, as it is small and light as an MP3 player, which makes it easy to take anywhere. It is quite easy to put it into a pocket or to carry around your neck in one of the Valkee bags.

Daylight therapies, used to treat winter blues symptoms, are known to be effective in improving cognitive performance and alertness. Since the psychomotor speed is an important factor in sport, particularly in sports where quick decisions and good reaction capacity is required, it seems logical to apply bright light therapy for this purpose.

After using the Valkee, the results were so positive that Hannu Jortikka recommended the Valkee light therapy device also to other athletes. Thanks to a proper dosage and regular application, the motor responsiveness and performance of the players improved noticeably.

There was also a study of the effect of the Valkee device on professional athletes in Finland. Finnish ice hockey league players (Team Kärpät Oulu) took part in the study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which lasted three weeks, the athletes were given a daily 12-minute dose of sunlight, or a placebo treatment, over the ear canal. Before and after the treatment period, the average response time from stimulus to reaction (key pressed) and the average motor time from rest (key released) to reaction (key pressed) on visual and acoustic signals were measured.

The results showed that the motor reaction time to a visual warning from the athletes that received bright light treatment over the ear canal was significantly better compared to the athletes of the placebo group.