How Chilling Your Hands Between Sets When Exercising Can Boost Performance

In the pursuit of optimizing performance during exercise, palm cooling is among the most promising approaches.

It can help you boost your cardio output by up to 25%, increase the amount of weight you can bench press by 26%, and increase number of pullups by 144%. The science behind cooling hands to enhance athletic performance is rooted in the intricate relationship between temperature regulation and physiological responses. Palm cooling helps you achieve these results by reducing muscle fatigue and preventing overheating, allowing you to perform longer and get better results. 

Here’s a breakdown of the key mechanisms

1. Peripheral Vasoconstriction
   Cooling the hands triggers a physiological response known as peripheral vasoconstriction. This involves the narrowing of blood vessels in the extremities, including the hands. This constriction redirects blood flow away from the cooled area and towards the core, where it can be more effectively regulated.
   
   
2. Core Temperature Regulation
   By diverting blood flow away from the hands, the body can more efficiently regulate its core temperature. This is crucial for maintaining optimal physiological function during exercise, particularly in hot or humid environments where heat dissipation can be challenging.
   
   
3. Improved Cognitive Function
   Cooling the hands has also been shown to enhance cognitive function, including focus, reaction time, and decision-making. This is likely due to the increased blood flow to the brain and improved oxygenation.
   
   
4. Reduced Fatigue
   By maintaining a lower core temperature, the body can delay the onset of fatigue and improve endurance performance.
   
   
5. Increased Strength
   Studies have also found that cooling the hands can lead to small, but significant increases in strength performance. This may be due to improved neuromuscular function and reduced muscle fatigue.
   

In essence, cooling the hands can help athletes optimize their performance by

• Regulating core temperature
• Enhancing cognitive function
• Delaying fatigue
• Improving strength

Temperature

You should not plunge your palms into ice-cold water, since you may risk vasoconstriction at too low of a temperature. That would mean that your blood vessels contract to limit the blood flow, in an effort to maintain and conserve internal heat. This prevents heat dissipation and can be counter-productive.

Ideally, you want the temperature for palm cooling to be 7 – 13°C. Not too cold to lead to vasoconstriction, but cool enough to support effective heat dissipation.

Why this temperature range is ideal

• Effective cooling
  Temperatures within this range can provide sufficient cooling to stimulate the physiological responses associated with improved performance, such as reduced core temperature and enhanced cognitive function.
  
• Minimal vasoconstriction
  While some vasoconstriction is necessary to redirect blood flow away from the hands, excessive vasoconstriction can lead to discomfort and potentially hinder performance. This temperature range is believed to strike a balance between cooling and minimizing vasoconstriction.
  
• Heat dissipation
  Cooling the hands can help to promote heat dissipation from the body, particularly in warm or humid environments. This is essential for maintaining optimal core temperature and preventing overheating.

Be aware that individual factors and preferences can also influence the optimal temperature. Listen to your body and adjust the temperature as needed. If you experience any discomfort or pain, discontinue cooling.

Duration

The optimal duration for cooling your hands before exercise can vary depending on individual factors, such as the intensity of the workout and environmental conditions. However, based on current research, a duration of 5-10 minutes is generally recommended (be careful not to overdo it).

• Pre-cooling
  Cooling your hands for 5-10 minutes before starting your workout can provide a noticeable boost to performance.
  
• Re-cooling
  For longer endurance events, you may consider re-cooling your hands during breaks or intervals.

Equipment

There are several effective methods for cooling your hands before exercise. Here are some of the most popular options:

1. Ice Packs
   • Ice packs: Apply ice packs to your hands for 5-10 minutes before exercise.
     
     
2. Cooling Gloves
   • Gel-filled gloves: These gloves contain a gel that can be chilled in a refrigerator or freezer before use.
     • Where to buy: NatraCure Cold Therapy Mittens
   • Cryotherapy gloves: These gloves use advanced cooling technology to rapidly lower the temperature of your hands.
   • Gloves with ice packs: Gloves containing replaceable ice packs.
     • Where to buy: Hand Wrap – Cold Therapy Gloves
       
       
3. Palm Cooling Bar
   • An easy to use and mobile bar that includes ice sticks to ensure optimal temperature for your entire workout, along with a built in thermometer to ensure the right temperature for optimal cooling of your palms during exercise.
     • Where to buy: Peak Performance Bar – Palm Cooling Tool

Choosing the Right Equipment

The best equipment for you will depend on your personal preferences and the specific needs of your workout. Consider factors such as:

• Convenience: Do you prefer the simplicity of ice packs or the convenience of cooling gloves?
• Effectiveness: How well does the equipment cool your hands?
• Cost: What is your budget for cooling equipment?

While cooling your hands can be a beneficial strategy, it’s essential to listen to your body and adjust your cooling routine as needed. If you experience any discomfort or adverse effects, discontinue use.

Findings From Stanford Study

As an example, in a study at Stanford University, they found that Stanford University they cooled off the a subject at a much faster rate using a cooling device that they put on one of his palms. This is done because our major heat exchange surfaces in the body are, are palms of our hands, the soles of our feet and our face.

The reason is that these skin surfaces are underlaid by very special blood vessels. The device that the researchers at Stanford used, facilitated a rapid thermal exchange (RTX), which imposes a vacuum on that the palm surface. Then, the cool blood from the heat exchange surface goes back into the core of the body.

The researchers have done tests on endurance (treadmill work in the heat), bench press studies, and pull up studies. In all cases, by extracting heat from one hand it lead to dramatic improvements in performance.

They were able to compare the rate of conditioning improvement, whether strength or work capacity with using their hand-cooling technique, with what has been published on steroids. Surprisingly, the rates they see with their technique is much higher (I’m skeptical of this result, but it seem to indicate a strong potential of chilling your hands to boost performance). The test subject felt the difference after being cooled down, and were definitely able to work out a little longer and harder.

Thus, the evidence suggests that cooling your hands can be a valuable strategy for athletes seeking to maximize their performance.

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📚 Sources and References

• Heat extraction through the palm of one hand improves aerobic exercise endurance in a hot environment (2005)
• Palm cooling delays fatigue during high-intensity bench press exercise (2010)
• Work volume and strength training responses to resistive exercise improve with periodic heat extraction from the palm (2012)
• Palm Cooling and Heating Delays Fatigue During Resistance Exercise In Women (2015)
• Effects of cooling glove on the human body’s recovery after exercise and improvement of exercise ability (2023)
• Stanford Researchers’ Cooling Glove Boosts Exercise Recovery (video: 1:52 min)
• Supercharge Exercise Performance & Recovery with Cooling | Huberman Lab (podcast episode)