The Science Behind Palm Cooling & Warming

Stanford studies show palm cooling can increase endurance by ~15% and strength training work volume by up to 144%.

Clinical trials show that effectively lowering core body temperature can reduce the intensity and duration of menopausal hot flashes. Cryo-1's warming mode also provides quick comfort for sudden hormonal chills, helping restore circulation and balance.

Golfers, firefighters, soldiers, and outdoor workers can use palm cooling recover faster, lower heart rates, and return to work more safely.

Cooling palms and lateral neck areas can lower heart rate, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and reduce panic symptoms.

Doctors found that warming the palms and soles helped patients recover faster from open-heart surgery when their torsos were exposed.

This was the first evidence that these skin regions were gateways for managing core body temperature.

Once the mechanism was known, scientists tested the reverse: cooling the palms.

They found it lowered core temperature more effectively than surface methods like towels or fans, slowing fatigue and strain during exercise in the heat.

Studies show that neck cooling mostly improves comfort, reducing perceived exertion but rarely changing heart rate, lactate levels, or core temperature.

Palm cooling, by contrast, directly reduces physiological strain, measurably improving endurance and recovery.

Palm cooling has since been tested in athletes, firefighters, and workers.

It consistently lowers heart rate, improves work volume, and accelerates recovery — proving that what started as a surgical trick is now a practical tool for performance and safety.

In treadmill trials at 40°C, palm cooling alone extended exercise duration by about 15% compared to control.

This meant participants were able to keep walking on an incline treadmill for several minutes longer before reaching exhaustion.

The effect showed that cooling the palms slowed the rise in body temperature and delayed fatigue, even in extreme heat

In resistance training, palm cooling had a major effect on performance.

Over a 10‑week program, participants who cooled their palms between sets completed 40% more work on bench press exercises compared to controls. Pull‑up training volume grew by 144%, showing that cooling allowed athletes to keep performing at higher levels for longer.

Strength also improved, with one‑rep max (1RM) increasing by 22% during the study

A San Francisco 49ers tight end completed 103 total dips across five sets without cooling. With cooling between sets, his total rose to 198 dips in the same session—an increase of 92 dips.

Over four weeks of training with cooling, he progressed further to 310 dips per workout, a total increase of 207 dips from baseline.

A tight end for the Oakland Raiders performed six sets of 225 lb bench presses. His baseline was 51 total reps. After three weeks with cooling, output rose to 60 reps (17.6% improvement).

Over the next four weeks without cooling, gains held steady but did not increase. When cooling resumed for two weeks, performance rose again to 67 reps—a total 31.4% improvement over baseline.

Physiological studies suggest palm cooling works by widening the narrowed “thermoneutral zone” caused by low estrogen, allowing excess heat to offload through the palms.

The hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature, becomes oversensitive in menopause, so even small rises in core temperature can trigger a hot flash.

Research by Freedman and colleagues has shown that postmenopausal women have a much narrower thermoneutral zone, meaning very slight changes in core temperature can set off this hypothalamic response

Laboratory research outside of Freedman’s early studies shows that the hypothalamus acts like a thermostat that can become unstable in menopause, causing sudden bursts of heat release.

Palm cooling removes heat directly from the bloodstream, helping to stabilize this thermostat. As a result, women experience fewer episodes of rapid overheating and the uncomfortable waves of sweating that follow

A 2015 study tested a handheld cooling device (Menopod®) applied to the neck for hot flash relief. Results showed limited effectiveness, highlighting that surface cooling on non AVA rich skin alone doesn’t meaningfully lower core temperature.

Still, it supported the link between reduced core temperature and fewer or milder flashes. Cryo-1 applies this same proven principle but uses palm cooling — the Stanford-validated method that directly cools the blood and rapidly stabilizes core temperature.

In Cryomedics’ own user trials, 100% of women reported noticeable relief, with most feeling cooler within 60 seconds.

Early human and physiology data show that during menopause, drops in estrogen heighten sensitivity to cold and trigger chills. Though direct trials of warming interventions are still emerging, this review notes that warming peripheral skin - especially areas rich in AVAs (arteriovenous anastomoses) like the palms - can help restore thermal comfort by improving circulation and reducing cold sensations. Many women reported relief from cold sweats and shivering when warming strategies were used.

A meta-analysis of over a dozen studies covering ~2,400 construction workers found that when wet-bulb globe temperature rose above 28 °C, about 60% of workers showed reduced productivity due to heat stress.

This means that in hot conditions, most workers slowed down, took more breaks, or were unable to finish their normal workloads. Even modest increases in temperature had clear effects on both safety and economic output.

Research on live-fire drills shows firefighters’ core temperature and heart rate rise rapidly under heat and exertion.

In these studies, firefighters who used active cooling methods—such as applying cooled water or holding cooled devices during rehab—saw their core temperatures drop faster and their heart rates return to baseline more quickly than those who only rested.

This demonstrates that active cooling can significantly speed recovery compared to passive rest alone

The International Labour Organization estimates that countries may lose 2–5% of working hours in high-heat sectors by mid-century without better mitigation (ILO). This loss translates into hundreds of billions of dollars in global economic impact, as fewer working hours mean less output and higher costs for businesses.

In the United States alone, heat stress is already estimated to cost employers around $100 billion per year, primarily through lost productivity, absenteeism, and higher healthcare expenses (FAS).

Projections suggest this could double to $200 billion annually by 2030 and climb as high as $500 billion by 2050 without intervention

A recent study of amateur golfers reported a high risk of exertional heat exhaustion in hot and humid conditions, especially with poor hydration and limited rest.

The researchers found that players frequently experienced elevated heart rates, dizziness, and reduced performance when playing in high heat without proper cooling or recovery breaks.

By slowing the rise of core temperature and easing cardiovascular strain, palm cooling may help golfers, pickleball players, and other outdoor athletes avoid hitting these dangerous thresholds.

A 2021 clinical study examined patients with panic disorder undergoing short cold facial immersion.

The cold exposure activated the diving reflex, which produced a marked drop in heart rate and increased parasympathetic activity compared to baseline.

Participants reported reduced panic symptoms during the intervention, showing that targeted cooling can directly calm the cardiovascular system and ease anxiety responses.

A randomized trial with 61 healthy participants tested cold stimulation on the lateral neck, cheek, and forearm.

Cooling applied to the lateral neck for 16‑second intervals significantly increased heart rate variability and lowered heart rate compared to baseline.

This shows that targeted cooling in this area can directly activate the parasympathetic nervous system 

A study of adolescent cyclists tested neck cooling at different temperatures during high‑intensity training.

Cooling reduced perceived heat, lowered ear temperature, decreased heart rate during recovery, and reduced stress markers in the blood.

This suggests cooling the neck helps the body recover faster from cardio and systemically induced stress.

A 2020 study tested 11 healthy adults with 90 minutes of localized neck cooling.

Neck skin temperature dropped by about 9 °C, and participants’ heart rates slowed significantly during the cooling period.

This shows that neck cooling can directly reduce cardiovascular strain by activating the body’s natural reflexes for conserving energy