Fitness Characteristics of Elite and Subelite Male Ice Hockey Players: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Jeppe Foged Vigh-Larsen ; Jonas H. Beck [1] ; Aleksander Daasbjerg [1] ; Christian B. Knudsen [1] ; Thue Kvorning ; Kristian Overgaard ; Thomas B. Andersen ; Magni Mohr
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[1] Aarhus University
Aarhus University
Dinamarca
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- Localización: Journal of strength and conditioning research: the research journal of the NSCA, ISSN 1064-8011, Vol. 33, Nº. 9, 2019, págs. 2352-2360
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
The purpose was to evaluate fitness profiles in elite (age 23.5 +/- 4.4 years) and subelite (age 19.4 +/- 3.1 years) male ice hockey players. Twenty teams from the best (n = 164) and second-best (n = 132) Danish ice hockey division were assessed in-season using a field-test battery consisting of off-ice measurements of countermovement jump (CMJ) performance and body composition, as well as performance tests on the ice. These included the submaximal and maximal Yo-Yo intermittent recovery ice hockey tests, level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1-IHSUB and Yo-Yo IR1-IHMAX), the 5-10-5 pro-agility test, and a straight-line sprint test. Elite players were heavier (85.7 +/- 8.1 vs. 80.8 +/- 10.0 kg, p <= 0.05) and had a higher skeletal muscle mass (41.9 +/- 3.9 vs. 38.8 +/- 4.7 kg, p <= 0.05) than subelite players. Moreover, elite players elicited a superior CMJ (50.1 +/- 6.1 vs. 44.9 +/- 5.4 cm, p <= 0.05), agility (4.76 +/- 0.17 vs. 4.96 +/- 0.22 seconds, p <= 0.05), and sprint (4.49 +/- 0.16 vs. 4.71 +/- 0.19 seconds, p <= 0.05) performance. Finally, elite players outperformed subelite players in Yo-Yo IR1-IHSUB (79.7 +/- 6.8 vs. 88.0 +/- 5.4% HRmax, p <= 0.05) and Yo-Yo IR1-IHMAX tests (2,434 +/- 414 vs. 1,850 +/- 499 m, p <= 0.05). Top elite teams performed. 1.1 and 7% better than bottom elite teams on the agility and CMJ test (p <= 0.05), whereas differences approached significance for sprint (p = 0.08) and Yo-Yo IR1-IHMAX (p = 0.08) performance in favor of top-tier teams. No differences were observed between forwards and defensemen. In conclusion, elite-level ice hockey requires a high level of fitness in terms of muscle mass and explosive strength, as well as a well-developed high-intensity intermittent exercise capacity. In addition, these demands seem to apply for both forwards and defensemen.
