230. The Mitochondrial Advantage: How Red Light Impacts Human Performance

June 23, 2026

Red and near-infrared light may be the most underestimated recovery tool in your environment, and the science behind what it actually does inside your cells is far more compelling than the wellness industry gives it credit for.

Scott Chaverri didn’t set out to build one of the leading red light therapy companies in the country. He was a burnt-out caregiver looking for anything that would help him sleep and function after two years of watching his son fight cancer. He found red light therapy in 2017 and noticed real changes. When the price of adding more panels shocked him, he decided to build his own. Mito Red Light did a million dollars in sales its first year.

The science behind photobiomodulation is worth understanding. Red and near-infrared wavelengths penetrate several centimeters into the body and act directly on the mitochondria, accelerating ATP production and triggering downstream effects that include better circulation, reduced inflammation, and a meaningful boost in cellular melatonin. A study on elite female basketball players found serum melatonin levels rose 67% after a single 30-minute session, which lines up with the number one piece of feedback Mito receives from customers: better sleep. Scott’s broader argument reframes the whole conversation too. Modern humans spend roughly 93% of their time indoors, and much of what red light therapy accomplishes is correcting a light deficiency most people don’t know they have. For the biohacking crowd chasing marginal gains, that reframe matters.

Dr. Fix brings a clinician’s perspective throughout, connecting photobiomodulation to the laser and dry needling work at PhysioRoom and asking the questions practitioners actually want answered: dosing, distance, timing, device selection, and when a panel outperforms a mask. The episode also gets into the single biggest reason people return their devices without ever giving them a real shot, and it has nothing to do with the technology.

Quotes

“Modern humans have very indoor lifestyles and they’re sunlight deficient.” (08:44 | Scott Chaverri)
“If the cells have more energy at their disposal, they can do their jobs better. And so theoretically, any cell that has mitochondria, which is every cell in the human body except red blood cells, has the potential to benefit from exposure to these wavelengths of light due to that increased ATP production.” (11:36 | Scott Chaverri)
“We’re spending 93% of our time indoors. And so when they correct the deficiency, they notice that they’re feeling better, they sleep better, whatever the case is.” (09:01 | Scott Chaverri)
“We just giving it a little bit more energy so it can do its job. It knows what to do. Just have to give it what it needs.” (21:50 | Scott Chaverri)
“The sun rises. We’re meant to get copious amounts of red and infrared light at dawn. It’s the reason why the sky is red at sunrise and sunset, because that’s the only wavelengths that are reaching us. And so that is like the signal to wake up.” (1:01:40 | Scott Chaverri)

Connect with Scott Chaverri:

Visit The Mito Red Light Website

Red Light Therapy (@mitoredlightofficial)

Scott worked for several Fortune 500 companies, in the business services, medical device, financial services and ecommerce industries. Having dealt with health challenges in childhood and early adulthood, Scott has always been passionate about all things health and wellness. Constantly learning, tinkering and evolving, his goal is to build Mito Red Light Inc into a preeminent health and wellness company empowering people with tools and information to optimize their performance and maximize their health spans.

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