Effects of Palmar Cooling on Grip Strength and Lacrosse Shooting Performance Following High-Intensity Circuit Exercise

Palmar cooling may delay fatigue during exercise by enhancing heat dissipation through the glabrous skin of the hand. Although ergogenic effects have been reported during resistance and sprint exercises, effects on sport-specific performance remain unclear. Purpose: Examine the effects of palmar cooling on handgrip strength, shot accuracy, and velocity in male lacrosse players following high-intensity exercise. Methods: Twenty Division III male lacrosse players completed two randomized, counterbalanced crossover sessions. Each session included a baseline handgrip assessment, a high-intensity circuit exercise (HICE; 12 exercises; 30 s, as many repetitions as possible with 10 s of rest), and immediate post-HICE handgrip testing. Participants then received either palmar cooling (PC) or a thermoneutral condition (TC) for 1 min, followed by another handgrip test, a three-shot maximal-effort velocity test, a second intervention of either PC or TC, and a lacrosse shot accuracy assessment. Palmar skin temperature (PST) was measured before and after each intervention. Results: PC reduced PST compared with TC after both applications (p < 0.01). Left-hand grip strength increased following PC compared to TN (p = 0.036), with no right-hand changes. Shot velocity and accuracy did not differ between conditions. Conclusions: Palmar cooling modestly improved post-exercise left-hand grip strength but did not improve sport-specific lacrosse performance.