Cool Hands, Fast Legs: Palmar Cooling for Track & Field Performance

When you're lining up for your next race or preparing for another jump or throw, your body is already heating up—and not just from nerves. In high-intensity sports like track and field, your core temperature rises fast. And as that happens, performance can start to drop.

Enter palmar cooling—a powerful, science-backed method to regulate body temperature and extend peak performance, especially in between events. At Phosfit, we're always exploring the best ways to help our athletes train smarter and compete stronger. Here's how palmar cooling can be part of your edge.

🔬 What is Palmar Cooling?

Palmar cooling is the process of lowering the temperature of the palms of your hands using a cooled surface, often around 10–15°C, sometimes with light vacuum pressure. Why the hands? Because your palms (along with your soles and face) contain glabrous skin—special skin areas with dense blood vessel networks that act like natural radiators.

By cooling the blood through these zones, you can help regulate core temperature more effectively than with cold towels or ice packs alone.

📈 Why It Matters in Track & Field

Track and field meets are long. Athletes often compete in multiple rounds or events over hours, in full sun, heat, or even high humidity. Whether you're a sprinter, jumper, or thrower, staying cool between efforts is critical to keeping your CNS firing, legs explosive, and decision-making sharp.

Without cooling, core temperature can rise 1–2°C during repeated maximal efforts, which reduces muscle power, increases fatigue, and raises the risk of cramping or heat illness.

🧪 What the Science Says

Several studies have shown the benefits of palmar cooling in athletic performance:

✅ Increased Work Capacity

A Stanford study (Grahn et al., 2012) found that athletes who used palmar cooling between strength sets could double their volume of work—even when training to failure.

✅ Reduced Fatigue

Research in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (2020) showed that intermittent palm cooling during rest between sprints led to faster recovery and better repeat sprint performance.

✅ Improved Thermoregulation

Palmar cooling has been shown to lower core body temperature faster than passive rest, keeping athletes fresher across multiple rounds or events.

🏃‍♂️ How to Use Palmar Cooling in Track & Field

Here’s how to make palmar cooling practical at your next meet or training session:

🔹 Between Events

After each race, jump, or throw:

• Place your hands on a cooling pad or chilled water bottle (10–15°C).

• Rest palms for 3–5 minutes.

• Repeat between rounds or heats to stay fresh.

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🔹 Pre-Performance Prep

Use palmar cooling during warm-up breaks to:

• Reduce over-heating in hot conditions.

• Keep CNS primed without raising fatigue.

🔹 Post-Event Recovery

After final events, palmar cooling can speed your return to baseline, helping with faster recovery and readiness for the next session or day.

🧊 What Equipment Do You Need?

You don’t need expensive vacuum cooling devices. For most athletes:

• A metal drink bottle filled with ice water.

• Gel-based cooling sleeves or hand wraps stored in a cooler.

• Or a custom DIY palmar cooler using water bottles and a towel.

At Phosfit, we're also exploring portable palmar cooling units for our athletes to use at training camps and competition days.

🏅 Final Tip from Phosfit

Cooling isn’t just for recovery—it’s a performance tool. If you’re serious about taking your performance to the next level, especially in meets with multiple rounds or events, build palmar cooling into your routine like you do sprint drills and nutrition.

Want help implementing it into your training or competition day setup?Chat to one of the Phosfit coaches—we’re happy to guide you through how to use it effectively for your event.

References

• Grahn, D., Cao, V., & Heller, H. (2012). Heat extraction through the palm of one hand improves exercise endurance in a hot environment. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

• Zhang, Y. et al. (2020). Palmar cooling reduces fatigue and maintains performance in repeated sprint exercise. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.