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YUYU Bottle Innovation Feature on RELEASE by Felis

Temperature Regulation Solutions for Athletic Performance. 


Support 

YUYU Bottle develops thermal regulation solutions to optimise athletic performance and recovery. 

Solution 

The range includes two main cooling products: The YUYU ICE Recovery Bottle: a versatile full-body cooling tool, The YUYU ICE Pulse: a wearable device targeting arterial blood cooling at the wrist. Expertise The thermal regulation technology is based on high-performance cooling bottles that maintain surface temperature for 4-5 hours. The products are manufactured with premium materials ensuring durability and comfort during exercise or recovery. Note: The design of YUYU products is underpinned by scientific studies demonstrating the benefits of temperature regulation on performance and the effects of body cooling on recovery. The solutions are utilised by Premier League teams, Formula 1 drivers and Olympic athletes.


 Interview with Richard Yu, CEO of YUYU Bottle. 

1) Can you introduce yourself and tell us about YUYU? 

My name is Richard Yu, and I’m the CEO of YUYU Bottle. At YUYU, we focus on science-backed temperature regulation solutions designed to improve athlete recovery, enhance performance, and support wellbeing in high-pressure environments. Our journey started when we reimagined a classic product, the hot water bottle. We designed the world’s first long, high-end hot water bottle, transforming it from a simple utility item into a much-loved wearable crafted with premium materials. This success inspired us to explore further innovations, leading to the creation of the YUYU ICE Recovery Bottle, which quickly gained recognition among high-performance teams. 

Our first major partnership was with the England Football Lionesses in 2022, who used our Ice Recovery product on their way to winning the Euros. From there, YUYU became a favourite in Formula One, with human performance teams turning to our products for their drivers. Most recently, in 2024, we proudly supplied over 2,000 athletes at the Paris Olympic Games, showcasing the reliability and effectiveness of our innovations on a global stage.


Advancing Innovation Through Science 

During the build-up to the FIFA23 World Cup, the English Football Association recognised YUYU's products as valuable tools for mid-tournament recovery. They asked us to develop a solution capable of maintaining a surface temperature of 15°C for 4-5 hours, perfect for long bus journeys. Studies have shown that 15°C is an optimal temperature for capillary repair, as it reduces inflammation, promotes angiogenesis, and aids in repairing microtears. This collaboration inspired us to push our technology further, leading to advanced, temperature-regulated cooling solutions.

But recovery is only part of the story. Extreme heat presents real dangers to athletes, including hyperthermia, reduced decision-making ability, and increased injury risk. By cooling blood as it circulates, YUYU’s products help prevent overheating, lower heart rates, and keep athletes safe during peak physical exertion.

In recent years, the growing trend of "The Ice Age" in sports recovery has highlighted the importance of cooling as a critical performance enhancer. What sets YUYU apart is our ability to bring this cooling technology into the game itself. While traditional methods focus on pre- or post-performance recovery, YUYU products, like the ICE Pulse, allow athletes to stay cool and perform at their best while remaining active and mobile.

Inspired by the work of Professor Craig Heller at Stanford University on cooling glabrous body parts for rapid blood cooling, we refined our approach. The concept of “cooling from the inside” became a cornerstone of YUYU’s innovations, leading to the development of the ICE Pulse, a wearable device that provides effective, targeted cooling during play, not just before or after events. 


2) Can you describe YUYU’s Ice Recovery range? 

YUYU’s Ice Recovery range tackles the challenges of heat stress, which can impair performance, delay recovery, and increase injury risk. 

  1. The YUYU ICE Recovery Bottle: A versatile cooling tool for both targeted and full-body relief. It reduces strain, lowers heart rate, and accelerates post-activity recovery. Its effectiveness has been validated by elite athletes, including those in the Olympics and Formula 1.
  2. The YUYU ICE Pulse: A wearable device that cools the blood via the radial and ulnar arteries on the wrist. Its temperature-regulated surface delivers efficient cooling without causing discomfort, ensuring recovery and temperature control during activity and rest. Together, these products provide practical, high-performance cooling solutions that fit seamlessly into an athlete’s routine.

 

3) What challenges does the Ice Recovery range solve?

The YUYU Ice Recovery range directly addresses key issues caused by heat stress:

  1. Lowering heart rate: Cooling blood reduces cardiovascular strain, aiding faster recovery.
  2. Improving endurance: Regulating body temperature allows athletes to sustain higher workloads and maintain performance. 
  3. Enhancing recovery: Products like the ICE Recovery Bottle reduce inflammation and speed up muscle repair after exercise. Research by Dr. Craig Heller highlights how targeted cooling prevents hyperthermia, allowing muscles to perform optimally during prolonged efforts. Studies in Sports Medicine Open confirm that cooling interventions improve fatigue resistance and post-exercise recovery. These benefits also extend to staff and officials, who often face the same challenging conditions as athletes.

4) Who is behind YUYU’s success?

Our success is driven by a passionate team of designers, innovators, and sports science professionals. We work closely with:

  1. Elite athletes and trainers, such as those in Formula 1, to ensure our products meet the highest demands. 
  2. Medical professionals and researchers, who validate the safety and efficacy of our solutions.
  3. Sports organisations, including Olympic teams, where our products have proven their value in managing heat stress and improving recovery. These partnerships enable us to continuously refine and expand our range, ensuring it delivers measurable, sciencebacked results. 

5) What are the next steps for YUYU’s Ice Recovery range?

 We’re focused on: 

  1. Building partnerships with sports science departments and global sporting organisations to showcase our performance-enhancing benefits.
  2. Conducting further research into the role of cooling in improving focus, decision-making, and recovery.
  3. Scaling production and distribution to make our products available to athletes, trainers, and medical teams worldwide.

6) How reliable is the science behind YUYU products? 

YUYU’s Ice Recovery range is built on rigorous scientific research and real-world validation: 

  1. Research by Dr. Craig Heller at Stanford University: Dr. Heller’s studies demonstrate that cooling glabrous body parts, such as the palms, significantly reduces hyperthermia, lowers core temperature, and enables higher work volumes. This research provides the physiological basis for YUYU’s targeted cooling approach, enhancing athletic performance and recovery. 
  2. Insights from Reuters: An article titled "To Beat the Heat, Athletes Bring Cool Tech to Paris 2024" highlights how wearable cooling devices are transforming elite sports by mitigating heat stress, a critical factor affecting performance and safety in high-pressure events like the Olympics. YUYU’s Ice Recovery range aligns with this trend by offering innovative, targeted cooling solutions. 
  3. Studies in Sports Medicine Open: Peer-reviewed research confirms that cooling interventions enhance recovery and reduce fatigue in high-heat conditions. These studies highlight the effectiveness of cooling in mitigating delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by lowering inflammation and improving blood flow. 
  4. Research in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living: Studies show that targeted cooling can lower heart rate, improve cardiovascular efficiency, and sustain performance during extended exertion in high-temperature conditions.

The adoption of the ICE Recovery Bottle by over 2,000 Olympic athletes at Paris 2024 and its popularity in Formula 1 underscore its practical impact in managing heat stress and accelerating recovery. By integrating peer-reviewed science with elite-level testing, YUYU ensures its products deliver measurable, consistent results.


7) What’s the best way for potential clients to contact you? 

You can reach us through:     


We’re always open to exploring collaborations, answering questions, and discussing opportunities!

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Created by Gregory Dupont, RELEASE is a decision-making platform that covers the trends in Innovation, Research and Development in health and performance

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