Maintenance of External and Internal Loads, and Physical Performance during an Overtime Championship Game in Men’s Varsity Ice Hockey - Abstract
This study quantified novel local positioning system (LPS) external load metrics and internal load (heart rate-derived training impulse, TRIMP) during the unique environment of an ice hockey championship (overtime) game across three periods of regulation time (60 min) and two periods of overtime (40 min). Data were collected from 15 male varsity ice hockey players (6 defence, 9 forwards; 22.0 ± 0.9 yrs, 84.1 ± 4.6 kg, 181.2 ± 4.4 cm). LPS metrics included skating distance, peak skating speed, peak acceleration/deceleration, and number of accelerations/decelerations, sharp/wide turns, skating transitions, changes of direction, and impacts. The mean skating distance was maintained across periods 1-5 (2110 ± 464, 2126 ± 490, 2012 ± 614, 2315 ± 649, and 2093 ± 549 m). Peak speed (30.25 ± 2.08, 30.78 ± 1.72, 30.67 ± 2.20, 29.99 ± 2.06 and 30.37 ± 2.18 km/hr) and
TRIMP (38.47 ± 14.83, 32.67 ± 15.39, 33.43 ± 19.18, 36.39 ± 18.29, 31.41 ± 11.89 AU) were also maintained from period 1 to 5. Forwards had greater peak skating speed, skated further in high-intensity speed zones (>21 km/hr), and had greater TRIMP vs. defence in most periods and the entire game (p<0.048). In summary, this study measured novel and objective LPS-derived external load and TRIMP internal load during an extended men’s varsity ice hockey game and remarkably, there were no decreases in players’ workload in the third period or two overtime periods. This suggested a high level of players’ fitness and potentially high motivation associated the championship game.