Intermittent Palm Cooling’s Impact on Resistive Exercise Performance

• Published in: International journal of sports medicine 2015-10, Vol.94 (10), p.814-821
• Main Authors: Caruso, J. F., Barbosa, A., Erickson, L., Edwards, R., Perry, R., Learmonth, L., Potter, W. T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood Pressure - physiology; Body Temperature Regulation; Cold Temperature; Female; Hand - blood supply; Hand - physiology; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Lactic Acid - blood; Male; Resistance Training; Skin Temperature - physiology; Training & Testing; Vasodilation - physiology
• ISSN: 0172-4622; 1439-3964
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1547264

Abstract To examine palm cooling’s (15°C) impact, subjects performed 3 four-set leg press workouts in a randomized sequence. Per workout they received 1 of 3 treatments: no palm cooling, palm cooling between sets, or palm cooling between sets and post-exercise. Dependent variables were examined with three-way ANOVAs; average power underwent a three-way ANCOVA with body fat percentage as the covariate. Simple effects analysis was our post hoc and α=0.05. Left hand skin temperatures produced a two-way interaction (no palm cooling, palm cooling between sets>palm cooling between sets and post-exercise at several time points). A “high responder” subset had their data analyzed with an additional three-way ANOVA that again produced a two-way interaction (palm cooling between sets>no palm cooling>palm cooling between sets and post-exercise at multiple time points). Blood lactate results included a two-way interaction (no palm cooling>palm cooling between sets, palm cooling between sets and post-exercise at 0 min post-exercise). Average power yielded a two-way interaction (palm cooling between sets, palm cooling between sets>no palm cooling for the fourth set). Intermittent palm cooling hastened heat removal and blood lactate clearance, as well as delayed average power decrements.