Impact of Preceding Workload on Team Performance in Collegiate Men's Ice Hockey.

ABSTRACT: Neeld, KL, Peterson, BJ, Dietz, CC, Cappaert, TA, and Alvar, BA. Impact of preceding workload on team performance in collegiate men's ice hockey. J Strength Cond Res 35(8): 2272-2278, 2021-Although the workload-injury relationship has received ample research attention, the relationship between prior workload and performance in team sport remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine if preceding workloads influence competition performance in men's ice hockey. On-ice workload data were collected from all players on a NCAA Division I men's ice hockey team for 2 consecutive seasons. Training and match workloads were characterized using 7 variables (player load, skating load, explosive efforts, high force strides, player load·min-1, skating load·min-1, and average stride force·lb-1). Team performance was calculated as the difference between the subject and opposing teams' shots on goal. Nine separate ANCOVAs were performed to assess the effect of workload across quartiles of 5 different time spans (1,3,5,7 and 28 days), and low, typical, and high zones of 4 time ratios (1/28, 3/28, 5/28, and 7/28) days) on team shot differential, accounting for season quarter and rank differential between the subject and opposing team. Alpha was set a priori to 0.05. Of all workload measures included in each analysis, only 7-day high force strides (p < 0.01, eta2 = 0.72), and 7-day player load·min-1 (p < 0.05, eta2 = 0.50) had a significant effect on shot differential. Measures of skating intensity in the week preceding competition have the largest impact on team performance. These results can be used by performance coaches to examine tests of speed, power, strength, and conditioning to identify potential limiting factors to high-intensity skating, design training programs with specific need-based emphases, and make recommendations for weekly management of high-intensity skating loads.

Reliability of Triaxial Accelerometry for Measuring Load in Men's Collegiate Ice Hockey.

Van Iterson, EH, Fitzgerald, JS, Dietz, CC, Snyder, EM, and Peterson, BJ. Reliability of triaxial accelerometry for measuring load in men's collegiate ice hockey. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1305-1312, 2017-Wearable microsensor technology incorporating triaxial accelerometry is used to quantify an index of mechanical stress associated with sport-specific movements termed PlayerLoad. The test-retest reliability of PlayerLoad in the environmental setting of ice hockey is unknown. The primary aim of this study was to quantify the test-retest reliability of PlayerLoad in ice hockey players during performance of tasks simulating game conditions. Division I collegiate male ice hockey players (N = 8) wore Catapult Optimeye S5 monitors during repeat performance of 9 ice hockey tasks simulating game conditions. Ordered ice hockey tasks during repeated bouts included acceleration (forward or backward), 60% top-speed, top-speed (forward or backward), repeated shift circuit, ice coasting, slap shot, and bench sitting. Coefficient of variation (CV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and minimum difference (MD) were used to assess PlayerLoad reliability. Test-retest CVs and ICCs of PlayerLoad were as follows: 8.6% and 0.54 for forward acceleration, 13.8% and 0.78 for backward acceleration, 2.2% and 0.96 for 60% top-speed, 7.5% and 0.79 for forward top-speed, 2.8% and 0.96 for backward top-speed, 26.6% and 0.95 for repeated shift test, 3.9% and 0.68 for slap shot, 3.7% and 0.98 for coasting, and 4.1% and 0.98 for bench sitting, respectively. Raw differences between bouts were not significant for ice hockey tasks (p > 0.05). For each task, between-bout raw differences were lower vs. MD: 0.06 vs. 0.35 (forward acceleration), 0.07 vs. 0.36 (backward acceleration), 0.00 vs. 0.06 (60% top-speed), 0.03 vs. 0.20 (forward top-speed), 0.02 vs. 0.09 (backward top-speed), 0.18 vs. 0.64 (repeated shift test), 0.02 vs. 0.10 (slap shot), 0.00 vs. 0.10 (coasting), and 0.01 vs. 0.11 (bench sitting), respectively. These data suggest that PlayerLoad demonstrates moderate-to-large test-retest reliability in the environmental setting of male Division I collegiate ice hockey. Without previously testing reliability, these data are important as PlayerLoad is routinely quantified in male collegiate ice hockey to assess on ice physical activity.

Off-Ice Anaerobic Power Does Not Predict On-Ice Repeated Shift Performance in Hockey.

Peterson, BJ, Fitzgerald, JS, Dietz, CC, Ziegler, KS, Baker, SE, and Snyder, EM. Off-ice anaerobic power does not predict on-ice repeated shift performance in hockey. J Strength Cond Res 30(9): 2375-2381, 2016-Anaerobic power is a significant predictor of acceleration and top speed in team sport athletes. Historically, these findings have been applied to ice hockey although recent research has brought their validity for this sport into question. As ice hockey emphasizes the ability to repeatedly produce power, single bout anaerobic power tests should be examined to determine their ability to predict on-ice performance. We tested whether conventional off-ice anaerobic power tests could predict on-ice acceleration, top speed, and repeated shift performance. Forty-five hockey players, aged 18-24 years, completed anthropometric, off-ice, and on-ice tests. Anthropometric and off-ice testing included height, weight, body composition, vertical jump, and Wingate tests. On-ice testing consisted of acceleration, top speed, and repeated shift fatigue tests. Vertical jump (VJ) (r = -0.42; r = -0.58), Wingate relative peak power (WRPP) (r = -0.32; r = -0.43), and relative mean power (WRMP) (r = -0.34; r = -0.48) were significantly correlated (p ≤ 0.05) to on-ice acceleration and top speed, respectively. Conversely, none of the off-ice tests correlated with on-ice repeated shift performance, as measured by first gate, second gate, or total course fatigue; VJ (r = 0.06; r = 0.13; r = 0.09), WRPP (r = 0.06; r = 0.14; r = 0.10), or WRMP (r = -0.10; r = -0.01; r = -0.01). Although conventional off-ice anaerobic power tests predict single bout on-ice acceleration and top speed, they neither predict the repeated shift ability of the player, nor are good markers for performance in ice hockey.

Division I Hockey Players Generate More Power Than Division III Players During on- and Off-Ice Performance Tests.

Current research has found anthropometric and physiological characteristics of hockey players that are correlated to performance. These characteristics, however, have never been examined to see whether significant differences exist between on- and off-ice performance markers at different levels of play; Division I, Elite Junior, and Division III. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences that may exist between these characteristics in Division I (24), Elite Junior (10), and Division III hockey (11) players. Forty-five (age: 18-24 years) hockey players completed anthropometric, on-ice, and off-ice tests to ascertain average measures for each division of play. On-ice testing was conducted in full hockey gear and consisted of acceleration, top-speed, and on-ice repeated shift test (RST). Off-ice tests included vertical jump, Wingate, grip strength, and a graded exercise test performed on a skating treadmill to ascertain their (Equation is included in full-text article.). Division I players had significantly lower body fat than their Division III peers (p = 0.004). Division I players also scored significantly better on measures of anaerobic power; vertical jump (p = 0.001), Wingate peak power (p = 0.05), grip strength (p = 0.008), top speed (p = 0.001), and fastest RST course time (p = 0.001) than their Division III counterparts. There was no significant difference between Division I and Elite Junior players for any on- or off-ice performance variable. The results of this study indicate that performance differences between Division I and Division III hockey players seem to be primarily because of the rate of force production.

Aerobic capacity is associated with improved repeated shift performance in hockey.

Current research has found conflicting results regarding the relationship between maximal oxygen uptake ((Equation is included in full-text article.)) and the repeated sprint ability (RSA) of hockey players. The purpose of this study was to use sport-specific testing methods to investigate this relationship. Forty-five (range, 18-24) college hockey players completed a graded exercise test on a skating treadmill to ascertain their (Equation is included in full-text article.). An on-ice repeated shift test was then conducted to evaluate each player's susceptibility to fatigue. First gate, second gate, and total test times were collected on the course and then used to calculate associated decrement scores. Second gate decrement was significantly correlated to (Equation is included in full-text article.)(r = -0.31, p = 0.04). Final stage completed during the graded exercise test was also significantly correlated to second gate and total decrement (r = -0.46, p = 0.001; r = -0.32, p = 0.03). No significant correlation was found between either first gate or total decrement score and (Equation is included in full-text article.)(r = -0.11, p = 0.46; r = -0.17, p = 0.26). The results of this study indicate that RSA is associated with (Equation is included in full-text article.)and final stage completed when using sport-specific testing methods.