Study: Heat Extraction Through the Palm of One Hand Improves Aerobic Exercise Endurance in a Hot Environment

1 September 2005

This study " Heat Extraction Through the Palm of One Hand Improves Aerobic Exercise Endurance in a Hot Environment " was designed to determine whether cooling the palm of the hand under slight negative pressure increased the duration of activity at a constant workload. 8 subjects were asked to Treadmill walking at a speed of 5.46 km/h and an incline of 9% at an ambient temperature of 40°C.

Each subject was tested with and without cooling under slight negative pressure. Body temperature was measured using an esophageal probe. The test was terminated as soon as the subjects reached 90% of their maximum performance.

The result showed that subjects with palm cooling were able to slow the rise in body temperature. The heart rate was directly related to body temperature and increased proportionally to body temperature. The subjects with palm cooling were able to extend their activity duration and walk an average of 25% longer until they reached 90% of their maximum performance. An indication that endurance can be improved by cooling during training.