Join the 2026 NSCA Training Prescriptions for Overhead Athletes Summit in San Diego on March 28. Learn advanced biomechanics, train hands-on, and earn 0.8 CEUs.
Join the 2026 NSCA Training for the Endurance Athlete Summit in Tempe, AZ, on March 28. Explore endurance training performance, learn hands-on, + earn 0.8 CEUs.
Join the 2026 NSCA Power Sports Performance Summit in Plainfield, IN, Sept. 26. Build explosive qualities with cueing, loading, + sport transfer. Earn 0.8 CEUs
Meet the 2026 NSCA Tactical Award winners honored at NSCA Tactical Annual Training for advancing tactical strength and conditioning, readiness, and resilience.
Learn how the NSCA and APTA joint principles statement supports the
advancement of athlete health, performance, and safety through evidence-based
collaboration.
An emerging body of research has explored the potential ergogenic effects of noninvasive interset recovery strategies involving the application of cold substances to the extremities distal to exercising muscles (e.g., palms of the hands or the soles of the feet). It was suggested that such strategies may acutely enhance resistance training (RT) performance by augmenting excitation and motor unit recruitment of the working muscles through enhanced stimulation of the central nervous system, resulting in greater force production and the ability to perform more repetitions to fatigue. Moreover, peripheral stimuli such as distal cooling may acutely reduce the sensation of distress during RT, allowing individuals to tolerate more exercise and achieve higher training volumes. Although there is some evidence that interset distal cooling confers an ergogenic benefit during RT, certain methodological considerations, a paucity of longitudinal research, and contrasting findings call into question its effectiveness. Thus, the purpose of this review is to assess the current evidence regarding the effects of interset palm and sole cooling on RT performance outcomes.