While warming up is crucial to good performance, over heating is likely going to keep athletes from doing their best. To help keep athletes from getting hot under the collar Trigger Point has developed its Cool Point technology. Brett Warner, vice president of Performance Cooling Products for Trigger Point offers a few cooling tips.
KineticShift: Why has it taken so long for athletes and trainers to understand the importance of the compression and other techniques?
Brett Warner: Products are often designed out of necessity. The lag between introducing a new concept and wide-spread recognition is an adoption cycle that all products must go through. The best products often solve a problem and are supported by research and athlete testimonials.
Cool Point for example solves a problem by keeping athletes cool and improving athletic performance in the heat. The concept of palm cooling to delay fatigue is supported by university research and studies. Cool Point is a key accessory for athletes across multiple disciplines including the world’s top two Triathletes, Conrad Stoltz and Melanie McQuaid. In other words, Cool Point is at the front of the cooling strategy movement, the progression, of which, is similar to the path that compression and hydration movements achieved ahead of it.
KS: Much is made of “warming up” but Cool Point is about not over heating and keeping cool as well. Is too much emphasize made on warming up, since runners are only really using their legs but their whole body is what gets warm?
BW: Warm-up is important because you prepare your body and mind for exercise. A good warm-up will help you maximize your performance. However, if you exert too much effort during warm-up you can overheat and put yourself at a disadvantage. Athletes use Cool Point to stay cool and help dissipate heat more efficiently. Staying cool adds workload capacity and it improves “how you feel” during exercise.
KS: When athletes get too hot do you think focus is lost? Does cooling help athletes stay focused?
BW: Heat stress impairs focus, decision making, vision clarity, and overall perceived exertion. Cool Point is used by athletes to stay mentally focused and physically strong .
KS: And to that end, do you think a lot of people don’t exercise because they don’t want to get overheated?
BW: Exercising in the heat is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical barrier. If we can help athletes feel better during hot weather exercise, I believe that general populations will grasp the benefits of Cool Point and
use it for everyday activities like walking a dog on a hot day.
KS: What you working on next?
BW: Trigger Point Performance is working on new and innovative products to help sustain human energy. This directive includes Myofascial Compression Technique Products and cooling products such as Cool Point.
Thanks to Brett for talking to us