BOULDER, Colo. (Oct. 29, 2026): Palm cooling research has focused almost entirely on thermoregulation, measuring whether cooling the palms can decrease core body temperature. NICE Recovery is looking beyond heat, and its latest research suggests the bigger story may be how palm cooling affects the nervous system and the body’s response to fatigue. In a randomized crossover pilot study conducted by NICE, athletes who used ROCC, the company’s handheld palm cooling device, between sets completed 9.5% more total work in 14.3% less active exercise time than they did without it.
Those results open questions the category has rarely thought to ask about what a precise dose of cold does once heat is no longer the only measure. NICE can ask them because the ROCC holds its cooling dome at a steady 57°F (13.9°C) without ice or water. Ice and frozen inserts warm as they are used, so the temperature dose changes from one minute to the next, while ROCC gives every athlete the same temperature dose in every session. Athletes place their palms on the device during natural breaks in training or competition, from rest between sets to halftime.
Palm cooling is not a new concept. The palms contain specialized blood vessels that help the body exchange heat, which makes them one of its most efficient cooling points. “There has long been an assumption that colder is better, but that isn’t the case,” said Dr. Ben Cowin, DC, ATC, Clinical Director at NICE Recovery. “When the hand gets too cold, the blood vessels clamp down and close off the very pathway you’re trying to use. Getting the temperature and duration right, and delivering them the same way every time, is what makes palm cooling precise enough to study properly. What we’re beginning to see is that palm cooling doesn’t erase fatigue, but it may give the body more room before fatigue takes over.”
The study builds on NICE’s earlier pilot work in baseball pitching and on a pattern the company kept seeing. Athletes reported feeling better with palm cooling and performed better even when their core temperature barely changed, which suggested heat removal alone could not explain the effect. In the strength study, 19 trained athletes completed the same demanding workout twice, once using ROCC between sets and once without it. Along with the gains in total work, athletes using ROCC averaged a 27.1% higher work rate while completing nearly the same number of repetitions, with 17 of the 19 improving.
The study also recorded physiological changes. Across the first three sets and rest periods, athletes trended toward releasing about 13% more heat on average, with a steadier heat flow. Between sets, markers of the body’s “fight or flight” response (sympathetic/SAI) trended down faster while markers of its “rest and digest” state (parasympathetic/PAI) trended back sooner. One physiological result was statistically significant: a measure of autonomic recovery was about 80% less variable with ROCC. These early findings do not establish what caused the performance gains, but they suggest palm cooling may help athletes manage fatigue through effects that extend beyond heat.
“We’re not interested in simply showing that an athlete feels better holding something cold,” Dr. Cowin said. “We want to understand what is happening physiologically and whether the response is repeatable enough to translate into performance.”
NICE is supporting research in the field by sharing its protocol and data with university researchers. The University of Essex is the first institution to independently test ROCC, in a study supported through the University of Essex Innovation Fund and led by Dr. Ben Jones of the university’s School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences. The study examines palm cooling during football hydration breaks and halftime in a temperature-controlled hot laboratory, measuring body temperature, heart rate, muscle function, oxygenation and performance. It is separate from NICE’s pilot research, and initial results are expected in early 2027. NICE is also studying how palm cooling affects reaction time and decision making under fatigue.
Designed in Boulder, ROCC uses a closed loop thermal engine to hold its cooling surface at 57°F. A haptic timer pulses every 30 seconds during sessions of up to five minutes, and one USB-C charge lasts more than 90 minutes, enough for two to three workouts. ROCC brings the precision temperature control behind NICE1 into training and competition.
“Recovery has traditionally applied to what happens after training,” Dr. Cowin said. “What if we can start recovery during training or competition? What we’re seeing suggests palm cooling may extend an athlete’s runway before fatigue takes over. A few more quality reps in a single session is a small gain, but when that happens consistently, session after session across a full season, the added work has the potential to have significant impacts.”
That’s where the practical value is for coaches and athletes. ROCC works inside the rest periods already built into a program, without adding time or load. It just makes those rest periods work harder. Better recovery between sets may mean better quality on the next one, so athletes may get more out of the same session. Over weeks and months, that could add up to more quality training across an entire season, and that long-term effect is what NICE is working toward measuring.
ROCC is available now for $975 at getnice.com. NICE’s findings are being released as a research series, Bigger Than Heat, at https://getnice.com/blogs/research. ROCC is a general wellness product and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.
About NICE Recovery
NICE Recovery makes iceless cold technology that delivers a precise, repeatable dose of cold for athletes and clinicians. More than a device maker, the company sets out to be a trusted partner across the full arc of recovery, from the clinic to the field, with a premium, science-led approach and a commitment to doing the fundamental work well. Michael Ross founded NICE after his own recovery, when he found other cold therapy options heavy, inconvenient, and dependent on ice. He set out to build devices that deliver cold therapy without ice. NICE designs, engineers, and manufactures its own technology in Boulder, Colorado, reflecting its belief in American craft and control over quality. The company shares its research with independent institutions to build the science of recovery and performance. Learn more at getnice.com.
