Andrew Huberman · 29 min

Temperature as a Performance Tool: The Neuroscience of Cooling and Recovery — Key Takeaways

A concise summary of the key insights from this episode. Watch the full video or read the complete article for the full context.

Why Temperature Controls Performance

• Muscles generate heat as a byproduct of contraction.
• As internal temperature rises, enzymatic activity in muscles is impaired — the proteins that drive force production literally begin to fail above a threshold temperature.
• This is not a limitation to push through; it is a fundamental biophysical constraint.

The Glabrous Skin Pathway: Where Cold Does Its Best Work

• Huberman highlights a specific and underappreciated anatomical pathway: glabrous skin — the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and the face.
• These surfaces are rich in arteriovenous anastomoses: direct connections between arteries and veins that bypass the capillary bed.
• When these surfaces are cooled, blood returning to the heart and muscles is cooled rapidly and efficiently — more efficiently than cooling other body surfaces.

The Evidence: What Controlled Studies Show

• The Stanford Human Performance Lab has conducted extensive research on this pathway.
• In one well-documented protocol, participants using palm cooling between sets of pull-ups performed significantly more repetitions per session and accumulated volume at a rate that would predict substantially greater strength gains over a training cycle.
• The effect is not limited to upper body work or pull-to-failure exercises.

Heat for Skill, Cold for Output

• Huberman's framework distinguishes between two modes: heat, which supports neural plasticity and skill acquisition, and cold, which supports physical output and recovery.
• These are complementary, not opposed — but their timing matters.
• Cold before skill practice may impair learning by reducing the neural excitability that supports new pattern formation.

Quick Actions

1. Cool your palms between sets — hold a cold bottle, run cold water over your hands, or use a cold pack. The palms are the most efficient heat-exchange surface on the body.
2. Separate heat and cold by intention: use cold to maximize physical output and speed recovery; use warmth before skill-intensive work to support neural plasticity.
3. Do not cool aggressively during skill practice — the neural environment for learning benefits from warmth, not cold.