Supercharge Exercise Performance & Recovery with Cooling

Special blood vessel structures (AVAs) in the palms, soles, and parts of the face allow extremely efficient heat exchange with the core. Stanford studies showed subjects nearly doubled total pull‑ups in one session (from ~100 to ~180) on the first day using palmar cooling between sets, and with repeated sessions some reached ~600 pull‑ups in the same time frame. Similar effects were seen in dips and bench press, and in endurance running where cooling delayed overheating‑induced fatigue.

As muscles and core temperature rise, critical enzymes like pyruvate kinase and ATP‑dependent processes stop working properly, causing contraction failure. The brain also integrates effort‑related heart rate and heat‑induced heart rate (cardiac drift); when combined load crosses a threshold, your system compels you to stop, even if you don’t consciously feel 'too hot.' Managing temperature therefore directly extends both physical capacity and perceived willpower.

To enhance performance during exercise, cool only the palms, soles, or face with cool (not ice‑cold) surfaces or water. If it’s too cold, blood vessels constrict and you block heat transfer. Practical methods include briefly immersing hands in a sink of cool water, lightly cooling the face with a cold cloth, or passing a very cold can between hands during runs—always aiming for comfortably cool, not painfully cold.

The faster your body temperature returns to normal resting range, the faster muscles and connective tissues can recover. Cooling via palms/soles/face is more efficient and safer than whole‑body immersion or ice vests, and avoids some of the potential interference with adaptation seen with full‑body cold exposure. Huberman argues that after strength or endurance training, using these portals is preferable to whole‑body ice baths if your priority is performance and adaptation.

Immersing the entire body in very cold water soon after resistance training can reduce inflammation but also dampens key hypertrophy pathways like mTOR, potentially reducing strength and muscle gains. Ice baths and cryotherapy are better reserved for specific goals such as increasing brown fat thermogenesis, mental resilience, or dealing with extreme inflammation—not routine post‑lift recovery if muscle growth is a main objective.