Anabolic steroids vs Palmer cooling?

Andrew Huberman has discussed both anabolic steroids and palmer cooling, highlighting their effects on physical performance.

Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids, particularly testosterone derivatives, allow users to train more by accelerating recovery and enhancing protein synthesis, effectively mimicking a second puberty. They improve bench press performance by about 1% per week 1. However, steroids carry significant health risks and are banned in many sports due to their performance-enhancing effects and potential for harm, especially in combat sports 1.

Palmer Cooling

Palmer cooling, on the other hand, has shown remarkable effects on physical performance, often surpassing those of anabolic steroids in controlled studies. By cooling the palms of the hands, which helps to dissipate heat and lower core body temperature, it allows muscles to continue working efficiently. This method has demonstrated up to a 300% increase in exercise performance over a month, significantly more than the gains seen with anabolic steroids 1. Additionally, palmer cooling reduces perceived effort and delayed onset muscle soreness, making it a safer and highly effective alternative to enhance training and performance 2 3 4.

In summary, while both methods can enhance performance, palmer cooling is not only highly effective but also avoids the health risks associated with anabolic steroids.