Half Time Recovery

The journey toward effective use of palm cooling technology for mid-activity or half time recovery began when the US Military commissioned Stanford University to explore how soldiers could manage heat stress. The challenge for Stanford scientists was to try to combat the heat load caused by wearing personnel protective gear in environmentally challenging conditions while often enduring high levels of physical activity.

Over a period Stanford developed the Stanford Cooling Glove which took advantage of the body’s ability to dissipate heat through the palms of the hands – one of the body’s main heat exchangers (the other two being the soles of the feet and the upper face – basically the non-hairy parts of the body).

Whether heat stress is due to the need to wear protective gear, such as in the military or in firefighting, or a high ambient temperature or the level of physical activity in professional sport, for example, palm cooling can significantly delay over-heating. As a consequence, individuals will perform better both physically and mentally.

How To Use The CoreTx

In a sporting context players or athletes can rapidly improve recovery during breaks in competition e.g. at half time in a football match. As the players have not completed their physical activity for the day they need to keep the muscles warm to lower the risk of injury when they resume the match in the second half.

Given the limited time available during breaks in a match, footballers typically only have a short window to rehydrate and refuel and to receive instruction from the coaches so little time is left for recovery interventions.

The fast acting CoreTx solves this problem – by cooling the palm of one hand via a combination of conduction and convection only 2 to 3 minutes is required to moderate core temperature, while keeping the muscles generally warm and primed for further action. This cooling of the blood has a double benefit as players are able to perform physically at a higher level and will also feel mentally stimulated, so better decisions are made as the match progresses into the final quarter.

How The CoreTx Works

As your body temperature rises beyond the normal range there is a rapid decline in physical and mental capacity. The result is an acceleration of the onset of fatigue combined with poor decision making which can have a negative effect on outcomes.

Research by Stanford University scientists established that palm cooling was a rapid and effective means for combating heat stress, delaying fatigue and enabling athletes (or soldiers or firefighters) to perform better in the next session of activity.