Palm Cooling for Performance: What the Science Says and How to Use It
Written by: TheoryEx, led by Susie Reiner, PhD
Reviewed by Therabody Scientists: Tim Roberts, MSc; Rachelle Reed, PhD, MS, ACSM-EP
Expert contributor: Robin Thorpe, PhD, Therabody Advisory Board
If performance during your workouts tends to decline toward the end, you’re not alone. The first few sets or efforts often feel manageable but maintaining that same output across a full session is where things start to feel challenging.
As fatigue builds, output tends to decline. Power drops, pacing becomes harder to maintain, and perceived effort rises. This reflects a combination of physiological and perceptual factors, including heat, central fatigue, and how effort is regulated over time.
Palm cooling, a type of cold therapy, has emerged as an approach that can help manage that decline. This article breaks down how palm cooling works, what the research shows, and where it may be useful in training.
Why performance declines across a workout
Performance rarely declines for a single reason. As a workout progresses, fatigue develops across multiple systems. Muscular fatigue accumulates locally, cardiovascular strain increases, and your perception of effort and discomfort rise. At the same time, the brain integrates these signals and adjusts output accordingly. [1]
Temperature is one factor that influences why performance declines throughout a workout, and targeted cooling used strategically throughout a workout can help. [2]
Interventions that influence fatigue across time — rather than a single effort — are often the most useful.
What is palm cooling and how does it work?
Palm cooling involves applying cold to the palms during or between bouts of exercise. The mechanism is linked to the structure of the hands. “The most impactful benefit of palm cooling comes from its ability to influence thermoregulation through the palms, which contain specialized vascular structures known as arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs),” explains Robin Thorpe, PhD, Therabody® advisory board member. “These vessels allow relatively large volumes of blood to pass close to the skin surface, creating an efficient pathway for heat exchange.”
When the palms are cooled, circulating blood can lose heat before returning to the core. Early research demonstrated that extracting heat through the palm improved endurance capacity in hot conditions, particularly when blood flow through the hand was maintained. [3]
These findings make the hands an efficient site for heat exchange. However, this mechanism alone does not explain all observed effects.
Benefits of palm cooling for performance
Palm cooling has been studied across endurance, resistance, and interval-based exercise. [2] While the results vary across studies, they maintain a consistent pattern.
Lower core body temperature
Palm cooling can facilitate heat transfer from circulating blood, which may reduce thermal strain during exercise, particularly in hot environments. [3]
However, reductions in core temperature are not consistently observed. Some studies report improved performance without meaningful changes in core temperature, indicating that heat exchange is only one part of the response. [4]
“In practice, the biggest opportunity [for palm cooling] is likely during repeated efforts or prolonged sessions, where fatigue develops gradually as body temperature rises,” says Thorpe. “By helping slow the accumulation of heat strain, palm cooling may allow athletes to sustain higher-quality outputs across multiple efforts rather than dramatically changing one isolated effort.”
Reduce (delay) training fatigue
One of the most consistent findings is delayed fatigue during repeated efforts.
In resistance training, palm cooling between sets has been shown to increase repetitions and total work performed. [5, 6] These findings have been replicated across multiple protocols, including studies in both men and women. Additional research has shown that palm cooling can improve recovery between efforts, including faster removal of heat and metabolic byproducts. [7]
“Even small improvements in recovery between bouts can accumulate across a session, helping athletes maintain more consistent output from the first effort to the last,” says Thorpe.
During cardiovascular exercise, research suggests palm cooling can lower overall heart rate and blood lactate concentrations, leading to participants experiencing less fatigue and performing more work. [8]
Improve repeated sprint and interval performance
Palm cooling appears to support performance primarily by maintaining output across a session.
In endurance settings, early research showed increased exercise duration in the heat. [3] In interval and resistance settings, improvements are typically seen in repeated efforts rather than a single peak performance. [5]
More recent studies have extended palm cooling to sport-specific contexts, including repeated sprint protocols, repeated-effort rowing, and interval-based cycling, where palm cooling has been associated with improved performance across later efforts in a session. [8, 9,10,11, 12]
Maintain strength, power, and endurance
Over time, these within-session improvements may translate into greater training adaptations.
In a longitudinal study, participants who used palm cooling during resistance training showed greater increases in strength and total work volume compared to controls. [13]
This likely reflects the cumulative effect of maintaining performance across several sessions rather than a direct physiological effect of heat reduction.
One study showed that palm cooling delayed reductions in power during a strength workout while speeding up heat removal and blood lactate clearance. [7] These results suggest using palm cooling between sets can lead to faster recovery, so you’re fresh for your next set.
Reduce perceived effort during training and competition
When an effort feels easier, you can push harder, for longer. A main benefit of palm cooling is its potential ability to reduce perceived exertion, or how hard a workout feels to the individual, during exercise. [5, 6]
The brain adjusts output based on incoming sensory signals, including thermal discomfort and perceived effort. When these signals are reduced, even slightly, individuals may be able to sustain effort longer or delay reductions in performance. [1, 2]
Palm cooling has been shown to improve thermal comfort and sensation during exercise even when core temperature remains unchanged, highlighting its perceptual and central mechanisms. [4]
Does palm cooling improve performance in every sport or type of training?
As we have highlighted, palm cooling has been shown to improve different types of performance, but it is important to understand the context. The strongest support is in repeated-effort exercise, where fatigue builds over time. [5, 6, 13] However, not all studies show benefits. Some have found no meaningful changes in performance, reduction in heat strain, or training volume. [14, 15, 16, 17]
This likely comes down to:
- How the cooling is applied
- The type of exercise
- Whether heat or fatigue is a limiting factor
A recent review highlights that cooling strategies are most effective when they address the main source of fatigue in that session. [2] So, palm cooling is best viewed as a tool that works when fatigue results from thermal strain.
How to use palm cooling in your training
When should you use palm cooling?
Palm cooling is best used in training sessions where performance tends to decrease from one effort to the next. That includes repeated sprint work, interval training, higher-volume strength sessions, and longer sessions in the heat. [10, 11, 12]
For example, in a high-volume resistance training workout, integrating palm-cooling between sets may reduce feelings of fatigue, helping you tack on another set and increasing the overall stimulus of the workout. [5, 7]
It can support a warm-up in hot conditions by improving comfort and slowing the early buildup of thermal strain.
Using palm cooling during longer sessions or endurance training in the heat can help slow the rise in perceived effort over time. [4]
Who can benefit from palm cooling?
Palm cooling is most relevant for individuals training in conditions or formats where fatigue accumulates quickly.
This includes athletes performing repeated high-intensity efforts, such as HIIT sessions or team-sport conditioning, where maintaining output across intervals is a priority. [8, 10, 11, 12] Strength athletes performing higher-volume training may also benefit, particularly when session quality depends on sustaining performance across multiple sets.
Endurance athletes, including runners and cyclists, may find it useful during longer sessions or in hot conditions where perceived effort tends to rise over time.
It may also be helpful for individuals who tend to overheat quickly during exercise. In these cases, even small changes in thermal comfort can influence how sustainable a given intensity feels.
How does palm cooling fit into a training routine?
Palm cooling does not require changes to program design. It is most effective when layered into existing recovery periods.
In practice, this means using it during planned rest intervals rather than adding recovery time. Most protocols apply cooling for short durations, typically one to three minutes between efforts, which fits within standard rest periods for both strength and interval training.
“Palm cooling doesn’t eliminate fatigue, it helps manage how quickly it builds,” Thorpe notes. This becomes particularly relevant in sessions where maintaining movement quality, power output, or pacing is the priority.
What is the optimal temperature for palm cooling?
The goal of palm cooling is to support heat exchange without restricting blood flow. Very cold temperatures can cause vasoconstriction — reducing circulation and limiting heat transfer. [18]
Across experimental studies, palm cooling is typically applied using moderate cooling conditions, often around 10-15°C (50-59°F) at the contact surface, depending on the device and protocol. [3, 5, 6, 13]
This range reflects a balance between effective heat transfer and maintaining blood flow through the hands, both of which are necessary for palm cooling to work as intended. The temperature should feel cold but tolerable.
When to use whole-body cold exposure vs. targeted palm cooling
“Think of palm cooling as a complement to other cooling strategies, rather than a replacement,” explains Thorpe. Whole-body cooling, cooling larger surfaces of the body for longer durations, may be more useful after exercise or before substantial heat stress.
Targeted palm cooling is designed for use during training. It allows for heat exchange and perceptual relief without interrupting the session.
This distinction becomes important when considering training goals. If the goal is to recover after a session or manage extreme heat stress, whole-body cooling strategies may be more appropriate. If the goal is to maintain output during training, palm cooling is recommended.
When not to use palm cooling
Like any recovery tool, palm cooling should be used strategically. In some phases of training, allowing fatigue to accumulate drives adaptation, while in other phases, the priority is maintaining output and movement quality.
Individuals with cold sensitivity, circulatory issues, or conditions affected by temperature regulation should speak with their healthcare provider before using a palm cooling device.
Palm cooling should not disrupt the structure of training by interfering with timing, focus, or execution.
Key takeaways
- Palm cooling targets the hands to support heat exchange and decrease fatigue during exercise to drive performance improvements.
- Research shows that palm cooling is most useful during repeated efforts, such as strength training sets, team sports, or interval-based training.
- The benefits of palm cooling may be driven by both heat exchange and changes in perceived effort.
- Context and implementation of palm cooling determine its efficacy.
- Palm cooling should be integrated into training during rest periods without disrupting the session.
References
- Hyperthermia and central fatigue during prolonged exercise in humans
- Cold water immersion of the hand and forearm during half-time improves intermittent exercise performance in the heat
- Heat extraction through the palm of one hand improves aerobic exercise endurance in a hot environment
- Effects of palm cooling on thermoregulatory-related and subjective indicators during exercise in a hot environment
- Palm cooling delays fatigue during high-intensity bench press exercise
- Palm Cooling and Heating Delays Fatigue During Resistance Exercise in Women
- Intermittent Palm Cooling's Impact on Resistive Exercise Performance
- Use of Gloves to Examine Intermittent Palm Cooling's Impact on Rowing Ergometry
- Ergogenic and physiological outcomes derived from a novel skin cooling device
- The influence of palm cooling on high-intensity interval training
- The Effects of Palmar Cooling on Repeated Sprinting Ability: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
- The Effects of Palm Cooling on Repeat Sprint Ability Following a Fatigue Inducing Protocol in Collegiate Female Athletes
- Work volume and strength training responses to resistive exercise improve with periodic heat extraction from the palm
- The Effects of Palm Cooling on Physiological and Metabolic Responses, Exercise Performance, and Total Volume During High-Intensity Bench Press Exercise in Resistance-Trained Men
- No Effect of Intermittent Palm or Sole Cooling on Acute Training Volume during Resistance Exercise in Physically Active Adults: A Summary of Protocols
- Palm cooling does not improve running performance
- Palm cooling does not reduce heat strain during exercise in a hot, dry environment
- Responses of the hands and feet to cold exposure
