No Effect of Intermittent Palm or Sole Cooling on Acute Training Volume during Resistance Exercise in Physically Active Adults: A Summary of Protocols
Kenville, R., Clauß, M., Arup, A., Ragert, P., & Maudrich, T. (2024). No Effect of Intermittent Palm or Sole Cooling on Acute Training Volume during Resistance Exercise in Physically Active Adults: A Summary of Protocols. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 12(10), 281. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12100281
Introduction: Intermittent palm (PC) and sole cooling (SC) are proposed ergogenic methods for enhancing exercise performance during high-intensity and fatiguing conditions. However, findings in the literature regarding its positive effect remain inconclusive. This study aimed at investigating the effects of intermittent PC and SC compared to no cooling (NC) on acute training volume during resistance exercise, particularly focusing on the total number of repetitions (TR) performed.
Methods: Three separate randomized crossover protocols, incorporating commonly practiced resistance exercises (Protocol 1: pullups; Protocol 2: pushups; Protocol 3: leg extensions), were conducted, enrolling healthy, physically active adults (overall sample: n = 41 (12 female), age: 23.9 ± 4.0 years (mean ± SD), height: 174.4 ± 9.5 cm, body mass: 69.3 ± 12.4 kg). During Protocol 3, tympanic temperature (TT), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and electromyography (EMG) of quadriceps muscles were additionally assessed for SC.
Results: PC resulted in less TR compared to NC in Protocol 1 (p < 0.001). Protocol 2 and 3 did not reveal significant ergogenic benefits of PC or SC compared to NC (p > 0.05). Furthermore, SC had no effect on TT, RPE, or EMG amplitudes (all p > 0.05).
Conclusions: The inconsistent findings suggest that intermittent PC and SC might have limited effectiveness in enhancing training volume during resistance exercise in physically active adults. Future research should examine various resistance training protocols under controlled conditions, and incorporate comprehensive physiological measurements to elucidate the potential benefits and mechanisms of intermittent cooling in resistance exercise contexts.
Keywords: intermittent cooling; palm cooling; resistance exercise; sole cooling; training volume
In Simple Terms:
This study looked at whether cooling the palms or soles between sets could help people do more reps during strength exercises. It found that palm cooling actually led to fewer pullups, and neither cooling method helped with pushups or leg extensions. Cooling also didn’t change effort, temperature, or muscle signals. Overall, cooling the hands or feet didn’t improve strength training performance.
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