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.
Have you ever struggled to understand anatomy photos in textbooks and apply those images to real-life movement? Check out celebrated movement specialist Dr. Grove Higgins lab demonstration from the 2019 Personal Trainers Virtual Conference.
Choose your path with new 2026 NSCA Performance Summits. Join us at
one of four specialized strength and conditioning events across the U.S. and earn
0.8 CEUs.
NSCA-Certified Personal Trainers® (NSCA-CPT)® are health/fitness professionals who use an individualized approach to train clients for the primary goal of improving their personal health and fitness. Learn more about becoming a certified personal trainer with the NSCA's CPT certification! Visit NSCA.com for information on personal trainer jobs, personal training certifications, personal trainer insurance and continuing education as you pursue one of the best personal trainer certifications.
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.